Case of the Week
Section Editors: Matylda Machnowska1 and Anvita Pauranik2
1University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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June 12, 2014
Developmental Venous Anomaly
- A developmental venous anomaly (DVA) is a congenital anomaly of the venous drainage.
- The term DVA was first coined by Lasjaunias et al to underline its character as an embryological variant of normal venous drainage.
- Usually asymptomatic. DVAs are commonly associated with cavernous angiomas and are uncommonly associated with cervicofacial venous malformation or facial lymphatic malformation.
- Key Imaging Features: "Medusa head" (dilated medullary white matter veins) appearance. Large "collector" vein drains into dural sinus or deep ependymal vein. Stellate, tubular vessels converge on collector vein.
- DDx: Hemorrhagic neoplasm
- Rx: DVA is an embryological variant. Should not be excised or treated.
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