Cavernoma
What are the chances of a cavernoma bleeding?
The risk of having a haemorrhage varies from person to person, depending on whether you have experienced any bleeding before.
If you haven't had any bleeding before, it's estimated you have a less than 1% chance of experiencinga haemorrhageeach year.
If your cavernoma has bled previously, your risk of having another haemorrhage is somewhere between 4% and 25% each year.
However,this risk decreases progressively over time if you don't experience any further bleeds, and eventually returns to the same level as that of people who haven't had any bleeding before.
Your level of risk will be one of the main factors taken into consideration when deciding if you would benefit from treatment.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Find out what a cavernoma is, what symptoms it can cause, and the importance of closely monitoring symptoms, plus how it's diagnosed and the possible treatment options.
Symptoms of cavernoma
A cavernoma often doesn't cause symptoms, but when symptoms do occur they can include: bleeding (haemorrhage) fits (seizures) Headaches neurological problems, such as dizziness, slurred speech
What causes a cavernoma?
In most cases, there's no clear reason why a person develops a cavernoma. The condition can sometimes run in families less than 50% of cases are thought to be genetic. However, in most cases cavernom
Who's affected?
It'sestimated about 1 in every 600 people in the UK has a cavernoma that doesn'tcause symptoms. Every year, around1 person in every 400,000 in the UK is diagnosed with a cavernoma that has caused sym
Diagnosing cavernoma
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are mainly used to diagnose cavernomas. As symptoms aren't always evident, many people are only diagnosed with a cavernoma after having an MRI scan for another r
Monitoring your symptoms
Any symptoms you have may come and go as the cavernomableeds and then reabsorbs blood. It'simportant to closely monitor your symptoms,as anynew symptoms might be a sign of a haemorrhage. Your doctor
What are the chances of a cavernoma bleeding?
The risk of having a haemorrhage varies from person to person, depending on whether you have experienced any bleeding before. If you haven't had any bleeding before, it's estimated you have a less th
Treating cavernoma
The recommended treatment for cavernoma will vary depending on an individual's circumstancesand factors such as size, location and number. Some cavernomasymptoms, such as headaches andseizures, can b
Further information
International research programmes are trying to find out more about what causes cavernoma and how these defective blood vessels are formed. The long-term outlook for people with cavernomas is also bei
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