Intracranial Venous Malformations

Overview

Venous malformations are the most common type of intracranial (within the skull) nervous system vascular malformations — abnormalities of the arteries, veins, or venous sinuses within the brain, spinal cord and central nervous system membranes.

Mayo Clinic specialists are pioneers in the treatment of central nervous system vascular malformations. In 1891, Charles Mayo, M.D., the co-founder of Mayo Clinic, performed the first neurosurgery at Mayo on a patient with a vascular malformation. Mayo physicians remain at the forefront of research and treatment of central nervous system vascular malformations, including venous malformations.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is ranked No. 1 in Neurology and Neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings.

Diagnosis

Most intracranial venous malformations are asymptomatic (patients have no symptoms). Mayo Clinic specialists often note intracranial venous malformations on sophisticated brain imaging studies, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), that are performed for other reasons.

Treatment Options

Nearly all intracranial venous malformations are left untreated because they rarely cause any symptoms.

In rare cases, intracranial venous malformation may cause seizures or brain hemorrhage (bleeding). If a brain hemorrhage occurs, Mayo specialists will use MRI scans to look for the presence of another type of vascular malformation. Venous malformations almost never cause bleeding.

About Intracranial Venous Malformations

Venous malformations are abnormally formed and dilated veins whose thin walls lack smooth muscle cells.

Venous malformations may appear as blue or purple swellings on the body. However, patients with intracranial venous malformations seldom exhibit symptoms.