Cavernous Hemangioma - Thalmus

[Amy]

Dear Neurosurgery Forum Physician,

     Thank you so much for having this forum.  I have learned alot by reading through all the questions and answers.  
     I am 35 yrs old.  In 10/99 I had a bleed in the Thalmus of my brain. One day I noticed the right side of my face was numb. I thought it was fatigue and ignored it.  Three days later I woke up in the middle of the night and the left side of my body from head to toe felt tingly and numb.  There was an ever so slight headache behind my right eye. The next day I went to the doctor who sent me to the hospital. The doctors feel it is a 2 cm cavernous hemangioma right in the Thalmus. The did an MRI and angiography. I have a repeat MRI sch. in Feb. to make sure it is not a tumor. The sensation in the left side of my body still is tingly and numb and I notice I have headaches from time to time.  They want me to report any changes.  Some days my left side feels more tingly than other days and I have that sort of floaty dreamy sensation I had when I had the bleed.  The other thing is my short term memory seems to be affected and I am more tired than usual. I tend to make excuses like we're all tired, it's the holidays! Are these symptoms typical and do they improve? They said if I bleed again they will want to take me to surgery as my risk for death outweighs the risk for negative consequence of surgery.  I understand these gps of vessels have a tend to bleed, heal and rebleed.  How common is it to rebleed and does the chance of rebleed decrease with time?  Also, I have no children, would pregnancy put me at risk for rebleed? Finally, I plan to move to a location about 10000 ft in elevation.  Could this pose any problems?  Wow, I unloaded all my questions!  If you can help with any of these questions I really do appreciate it.
     Again, I appreciate your forum and want to say thanks for the time and interest you give us all.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Amy:

You are welcome.  Stats are just numbers generated from retrospective studies and the number do vary.  However, overall the percentages are not all that high.  They are in your favor of not bleeding.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[Amy]

Quick update. Guess this is kind of rare. Will repeat MRI next mo. to make sure it is not a different kind of brain tumor. If cavernous hemangioma may benefit from gamma knife. Not sure as so deep in Thalmus. If no surgery indicated I will go about my life peacefully and chalk it up to increasing awareness.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Amy:

I am not sure whether gamma knife is a viable long-term option.  The possible side effects likely outweigh the possible benefit of not doing the surgery.  I would doubt that your cavernous angioma is something else, because very few things would look like a cavernous angiom on MRI.

CCF Neuro MD

[Amy]

Thanks. I prefer to not have anything done. They tend to feel the same but want to repeat the MRI to see what's what. I seem to find alot of conflicting data about percentage of rebleeds. In the big pic I guess it doesn't matter because it will do what it does. Still once in awhile I think about it. Esp if the left side is real tingly. One day at a time. Thank you again.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Tina:

I am not sure what to make of your posting.  Headaches can be from arachnoid cysts, if that is the type of cyst they told you that you had.  If the cyst has been there your whole life (a possibility) and you didn't have headaches before the accident, then they are probably correct.  It may be that you have traumatic induced migraine or headache.  I would talk to your neurologist about this.  Maybe a visit to a headache specialist.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[Tina in PA]

Hi, ,I would like your comment on my condition...Sept. I got hit on the left side of my face.  It killed a tooth, dislocated my jaw and damaged my sphintur muscle in my left eye.  Today I talked to the neuro surgeon after repeated CT's and MRI's.  They now tell me the fluid on the whole underside of my brain is not from the injury I sustained, it is a large fluid cycts and that part of my brain is missing??? But I don't understand ,  They say this is not causing the terrible headaches & I don't have to go back.  They are not removing it either.  I did not have the headaches til after the time of the injury? What do you think should I get another oppinion?  I Going to turn 30 on the 18th??  Your advice will be treasured, Thank-you Tina