Abstract
We performed 20 surgeries 17 patients. Male to femaleratio was 13 : 4.
The mean patient age was 43 years at the time of surgery. Spinal levels of cavernomaswere cervical in seven patients and thoracic in 13 patients.
The mean volume was 1.3 ml (0.2-6 ml). In six patients , multiple cavernomas of the CNS were discovered and in onepatient, a hereditary CCM1 mutation was confi rmed.
Symptoms were motoric in 14 patients, sensory in 13 patients and bladder and/or bowel in three patients. Nine patientspresented with an acute, three patients with a stepwise and eight patients witha progressive neurological decline.
The calculated annual risk of haemorrhage was 2.3%. Longtermimprovement was observed in seven patients , 12 patients remained stable andone patient deteriorated.
Conclusion: Based on our results, we conclude that it is convenient toperform IMC resection when it starts to be symptomatic. We should avoid waiting until the patientdeteriorates.