CT and MRI Findings of Intracranial Cavernous Hemangioma Malformation

Objective: To investigate the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of cavernous hemangioma malformation (CHM) to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Methods: The CT and MRI findings and clinical information of 23 patients with CHM were retrospectively analyzed. Results: CT examinations were conducted in 7 cases, while MRI was utilized in 23 cases. Additionally, SWI was employed in 5 cases and enhanced imaging techniques were applied in 14 cases. Among the observed lesions, 20 cases presented with a singular lesion, whereas 3 cases exhibited multiple lesions. The lesions were located in 8 frontal lobes, 6 cerebellums, 2 brainstems, 6 temporal lobes, 1 basal ganglia, 3 parieto-occipital lobes, and 2 thalamus regions. The nodules appeared as quasi-circular lesions with clear or well-defined boundaries. They presented as isodense lesions on CT scans, with one lesion showing peritumoral edema. On MRI, T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) demonstrated isointense signals, while T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) showed isointense and hyperintense signals. Additionally, 10 lesions exhibited a low signal ring on T2WI. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) revealed nodular or isointense low signals, while susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) displayed enlarged areas of low signal. Fourteen lesions underwent contrast-enhanced scanning, with 2 lesions showing no obvious enhancement, 1 lesion demonstrating mild to moderate enhancement, and 11 lesions exhibiting significant enhancement. Notably, 6 of these enhanced lesions were surrounded by small blood vessels. Conclusion: Cavernous hemangioma malformation is more commonly found in individual cases. CT alone lacks specificity, making it prone to misdiagnosis. A more comprehensive evaluation of cavernous hemangioma malformation can be achieved through a combination of MRI, DWI, SWI, and enhanced examination, providing valuable references for clinical assessment.