Cavernous malformations

By Mayo Clinic Staff
July 01, 2026

Research

Mayo Clinic is leading the way in cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) research. To learn more about the condition and improve care for people with CCMs, researchers are working to:

  • Better predict the chances of CCMs bleeding, especially if they're not treated with surgery.
  • Understand how likely CCMs are to bleed again at specific times of the year.
  • Test how well certain medicines prevent bleeding.
  • See how gene therapy may possibly help people with familial CCMs.

Publications

See a list of publications about cerebral cavernous malformations by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

  1. Cavernous malformations. American Association of Neurological Surgeons. http://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Cavernous-Malformations. Accessed Jan. 16, 2024.
  2. Singer RJ, et al. Vascular malformations of the central nervous system. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Jan. 15, 2024.
  3. Cerebral cavernous malformation information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Cerebral-Cavernous-Malformation-Information-Page. Accessed Jan. 15, 2024.
  4. Jankovic J, et al., eds. Structural imaging using magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. In: Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Jan. 15, 2024.
  5. Dulamea AO, et al. Cerebral cavernous malformations — An overview on genetics, clinical aspects and therapeutic strategies. Journal of Neurological Sciences. 2024; doi:10.1016/j.jns.2024.123044.
  6. Caplan LR, et al., eds. Cavernous malformations. In: Primer on Cerebrovascular Diseases. Elsevier; 2017. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Jan. 15, 2024.
  7. Akers A, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and clinical management of cavernous malformations of the brain and spinal cord: Consensus recommendations based on a systematic literature review by the alliance to cure cavernous malformation clinical advisory board experts panel. Neurosurgery. 2025; doi:10.1227/neu.0000000000003459.
  8. Fernando PM, et al. Cerebral cavernous malformation in a child leading to a fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage — "silent but sinister:" A case report and literature review. Surgical Neurology International. 2021; doi:10.25259/SNI_248_2021.
  9. AskMayoExpert. Cerebral vascular malformations. Mayo Clinic; 2021.
  10. Scientific Advisory Board. Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation. https://www.angioma.org/about-angioma-alliance/scientific-advisory-board/. Accessed Jan. 15, 2024.
  11. Ami TR. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. Nov. 14, 2023.
  12. Kumar S, et al. Distinguishing mimics from true hemorrhagic cavernous malformations. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2020; doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2020.01.070.
  13. Paddock M, et al. Pediatric cerebral cavernous malformations. Pediatric Neurology. 2021; doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2020.11.004.
  14. Hobson N, et al. Phantom validation of quantitative susceptibility and dynamic contract-enhanced permeability MR sequences across instruments and sites. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2020; doi:10.1002/jmri.26927.
  15. Horne MA, et al. Clinical course of untreated cerebral cavernous malformations: A meta-analysis of individual patient data. The Lancet. Neurology. 2016; doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(15)00303-8.
  16. Flemming KD, et al. Seasonal variation in hemorrhage and focal neurologic deficit due to intracerebral cavernous malformations. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 2015; doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2015.01.007.
  17. Flemming KD, et al. Cavernous malformation hemorrhagic presentation at diagnosis associated with low 25-hydroxy-vitamin D level. Cerebrovascular Disease. 2020; doi:10.1159/000507789.
  18. Snellings DA, et al. Cerebral cavernous malformation: From mechanism to therapy. Circulation Research. 2021; doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.318174.
  19. Medical review (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Jan. 30, 2024.
  20. Adam MP, et al., eds. Familial cerebral cavernous malformations. In: GeneReviews. University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1116. Accessed Oct. 4, 2025.
  21. Brain basics: Know your brain. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-know-your-brain#. Accessed Jan. 10, 2024.
  22. Flemming KD, et al. Cerebral cavernous malformation: What a practicing clinician should know. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2020; doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.11.005.
  23. Centers of excellence. Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation. https://www.alliancetocure.org/care-community/care/centers-of-excellence/. Accessed Jan. 19, 2024.
  24. Neurology and neurosurgery. Cavernous malformations: 7T MRI enhances expertise. Mayo Clinic; 2024.
  25. Medical review (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Oct. 31, 2025.