Definition

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) are tangles of malformed blood vessels located in the brain and/or spinal cord.

Description

The blood vessels composing a cerebral cavernous malformation are weak and lack supporting tissue, thus they are prone to bleed. If seen under a microscope, a cavernous malformation appears to be composed of fairly large blood-filled caverns. A characteristic feature of a CCM is slow bleeding, or oozing, as opposed to the dangerous sudden rupture of an aneurysm (a weak, bulging area of a blood vessel). However, depending on the size and location of the CCM, and the frequency of bleeding, a CCM can also create a dangerous health emergency. Cerebral cavernous malformations are also known as cavernomas or cavernous angiomas.

CCM is usually distinct from the surrounding brain tissue and resembles a mass or a blood clot. It can occur either sporadically or in a familial...