Cavernoma Awareness Day 2024
A cavernoma is a cluster of abnormal blood vessels, usually found in the brain and spinal cord.
They’re sometimes known as cavernous angiomas, cavernous haemangiomas, or cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM).
A typical cavernoma looks like a raspberry. It’s filled with blood that flows slowly through vessels that are like “caverns”.
A cavernoma can vary in size from a few millimetres to several centimetres across.
Symptoms of cavernoma
A cavernoma often does not cause symptoms, but when symptoms do occur they can include:
- bleeding (haemorrhage)
- fits (seizures)
- headaches
- neurological problems, such as dizziness, slurred speech (dysarthria), double vision, balance problems and tremor
- weakness, numbness, tiredness, memory problems and difficulty concentrating
- a type of stroke called a haemorrhagic stroke
The severity and duration of symptoms can vary depending on the size, location and number of cavernomas.
Problems can occur if the cavernoma bleeds or presses on certain areas of the brain.
The cells lining a cavernoma are often thinner than those that line normal blood vessels, which means they’re prone to leaking blood.
In most cases, bleeding is small – usually around half a teaspoonful of blood – and may not cause other symptoms.
But severe haemorrhages can be life threatening and may lead to long-lasting problems.
You should seek medical help as soon as possible if you experience any of the above symptoms for the first time.