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INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of patients with central nervous system cavernous venous malformation (CVM).METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the MRI findings of patients with cavernous malformation. MRI protocol included non-enhanced and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted sequences, T2-weighted sequences, fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences. Images were reviewed to assess the location, CVMs type, number, hemosiderin rings shape, accompanying development venous angioma (DVA) or capillary telangiectasia, volume and contrast-enhancement of the lesions. RESULTS: Forty-one patients (40,8 + 16,8 years) with 61 CVM were evaluated. Of 61 CVMs 53 (86,9%) were in cerebrum, 3 (4,9%) in brainstem, 3 (4,9%) in cervical spinal cord, 2 (3,2%) in cerebellum. The CVM volume range was 0,27-1,33 ml (mean + std; 0,59 + 0,20). Forty-two of them (68.8%) had discontinuous hemosiderin rings and 19 (31.2%) continuous ones. Thirty-nine (63,9%) of the CVM’s were of type 2, 15 (24,6%) Type 1, 5 (8,1%) Type 3 and 2 (3,2%) type 4. While there were not contrast enhancement in 51 (83,6%) of CVMs, contrast enhancement was observed in 10 (16,4%). Contrast enhancement was not significantly associated with CVM volumes (p=0,251). In 6 patients (14,6%), CVM was accompanied by DVA.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: CVMs can be found anywhere in the central nervous system and most often show cerebral distribution. CVMs with cerebral distribution are most commonly found in the subcortical area. CVMs often do not show contrast enhancement on MRI and there was no significant relationship between contrast enhancement and CVMs volume.

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