Cavernous Malformations

Diagnosis

Mayo Clinic doctors trained in brain and nervous system conditions (neurologists), brain imaging (neuroradiologists) and other specialties diagnose your condition.

Your doctor may diagnose cavernous malformations during testing for other neurological conditions. You often may not experience symptoms. Some people with cavernous malformations may experience seizures, bleeding in the brain (hemorrhage) or other neurological symptoms.

Doctors may order tests to diagnose cavernous malformations or other related conditions.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this test, magnetic and radio waves create detailed images of your blood vessels and your brain. Sometimes a doctor may inject a contrast dye into a vein in your arm to make the blood vessels in your brain visible on the images (magnetic resonance angiography or magnetic resonance venography). Doctors may discover cavernous malformations during an MRI for unrelated reasons.
• Genetic testing. If you have a family history of the condition, Mayo Clinic doctors offer genetic counseling and tests to look for changes associated with cavernous malformations in genes or chromosomes.