Radiation-induced cavernomas of the brain

Summary: The purpose of this report is to add support to the growing literature that there is a correlation between radiation and cavernomas of the brain, particularly if the radiation is received in childhood, as well as to increase awareness of this correlation in the radiology community. Retrospective review of our experience returned five pa-tients who received radiation therapy while they were chil-dren and developed cavernomas in the irradiated tissues 3–41 years later. Cavernomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a hemorrhagic lesion in any pa-tient who has received previous CNS radiation, particularly if he or she underwent radiation therapy in childhood. Cavernomas—also known as cavernous hemangio-mas and cavernous malformations—are CNS vascular lesions composed of thin-walled, dilated capillar