Hemorrhage of cerebral cavernous malformation in third trimester of pregnancy

Abstract

Cerebral cavernous malformation is a rare but important cause of cerebral hemorrhage in pregnancy and puerperium. In pregnancy, cavernomas can more easily bleed as a result of increased female hormones and growth factors such as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. We present the case of a pregnant woman who had been diagnosed with a cerebral cavernoma about ten years previously, after repeated headache episodes; at the 28th weeks of pregnancy the woman was hospitalized for epileptic seizures and active bleeding from the anterior cerebral artery. We describe the management of the case, the decision for a preterm delivery and for a resolutive neurosurgical procedure.