Clinical characteristic of spinal vascular malformation in pediatric patients

Childs Nerv Syst. 2009 Apr;25(4):473-8. doi: 10.1007/s00381-008-0737-y. Epub 2008 Nov 14.

Abstract

Objective: Seventy-two pediatric spinal vascular malformation cases were reviewed and the characteristics of their clinical symptoms, diagnoses, and therapies were analyzed.

Materials and methods: A thorough overview was compiled examining patient sex, age, location, history, development, treatment, clinical, and anatomical results.

Results: Spinal cord arteriovenous malformation was the most common (44.4%) subtype to be seen in these pediatric patients, while subdural perimedullary arteriovenous fistula (23.6%) was the second, followed by Cobb's syndrome (13.9%) and intramedullary cavernous angioma (5.6%). No spinal dual arteriovenous fistulae were found in infants. The highest incidence was seen during the infant and adolescent periods. Sixty-nine cases were treated by surgeries, embolizations, or a combination of both, and 71.5% of them had improved.

Conclusions: Early diagnosis and treatment are required. Surgery and embolization, or a combination of the two, are the current candidates for treatment.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age of Onset
  • Blood Vessels / abnormalities*
  • Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / epidemiology
  • Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / physiopathology
  • Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / therapy
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Spinal Cord / blood supply*
  • Treatment Outcome