started with headaches

[wanna1979]

My son is 14 years old and has been having headaches for years. The doctor that we saw for years said that they were apart of growing pains. We switched doctors only because we moved and his new doctor was alarmed my them he set us up with all types of test which recently found that he has venous aginoma and carvenous malformation. Apparently he has bleed out before and I had no idea. He is only 14 how to I prepare him for a surgery and why wasn't this found earlier? Does this mean that he had a stroke before. How often does this occur in patients like him? Please let me know something soon.......

[bibigirl12_10]

yeah, i'm sorry that has to happen. the headaches and stuff sure do take a toll on kids, especially us at such a young age. i almost had to go to summer-school too because i missed over 75 days because of doctor's appointments and just not being able to get up from the pain. people cavernous angiomas really aren't candidates for surgery, my parents wanted me to have it but the doctors at the Children's Hospital said absolutely not. they weren't going to make me go through that...


once it hemorrhages, it's not going to happen again (most likely) and then they don't go away, the brain simply soaks up the leaked blood and just puts it back to work. they can heal themselves, like a scab... once it bleeds it could like repair itself... my family though they like disappear. but unless your son's having horrible complications, such as frequent seizures or the angiomas are big, sugery wouldn't be a good idea.

did you get an MRI, EEG, or CT Headscan??

[wanna1979]

Thanks for all the input. My son has been referred to a neurosurgeon. I still don't really know what is going on. He has had issues more than usually this school year and now will have to attend summer school. I wonder if this played a part in his learning this school year. He has slack off before but always manage to get back on track but this year it was different. I really don't know but I do need answers and thanks for responding

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Hi, Thank you for your question. Venous angiomas are variants in the brain’s normal venous system.  Usually, the venous pathways are separated by normal brain tissue but in venous angioma there is an abnormal appearance of few normal veins. These veins also act like normal veins from a physiologic perspective. Therefore, venous angiomas are very often benign, but 1/3 of the patients have associated with other brain malformations that carry a higher morbidity or mortality.  Most of the times venous angiomas are quickly identified on MRI, but some of the smaller vascular malformations may be difficult to identify. Since you have symptoms of headache, I would recommend you to see a neurologist who can evaluate the details of your case and could better determine the insight of your situation.  If your neurologist identifies further warning signs he or she would like to refer you to a neurosurgeon much sooner.  Hope this helps.

[bibigirl12_10]

i have cavernous hemangiomas, mine are the size of fifty cent pieces. for the past year i've been seeing a pediatric neurologist and pediatric neurosurgeon. cavernous malformations aren't candidates for surgery (unless a great size and if your son is having complications) i was supposed to have surgery last year but my family got a second opinion and that's where i'm at now. i suffer from headaches and stuff but my neurologist has been putting me on numerous prescriptions for seizures and headaches which have seem to be working. personally, i would get two to three more opinions because you don't want to do a surgery that isn't necessary do you? hemangiomas (goes by several names) such as vascular malformations... they bleed but my neurologist said that don't bleed often (maybe once every 14 years) or even once in a person's lifetime.

so get another opinion. i know exactly what your son is going through and i didn't need surgery and i have about ten in my brain and throughout my body. GOOD LUCK and keep me informed, please.