Cavernous Malformation

[Kely__0__0]

  I was diagnosed with a Cavernous Malformation of the medulla this summer after I had an MRI for cervical strain from a car accident.  First my Doctor told me I'd had a small hemorrhage form the accident but then a nueroradiologist looked at it and said its probly a Cav. malformation.  
  When we were impacted in the accident I had the worst headache of my life in the back of my head!  The hospital did a Cat scan and said I was fine. The next 2 days I slept but I also three up three times and had blood clots coming form my nose (sorry). From what I've read it sounds like it did bleed from the impact - could I be wrong?
  I'm 35 years old and now I'm worried about this. Could it bleed more easily in the future? What should I look out for?
  Also - when I look back at the summer the whole thing is a blur. I barely remember anything and I have trouble with memory and I have a really short temper (which I didn't have before)
  Thanks for any info!, Kelly
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Dear Kelly,
A cavernous malformation is a benign tangle of small blood vessels that do not carry blood like normal vessels.  They may cause seizures and deficits due to their location, which may be anywhere in the brain and brainstem.  They may also bleed, but typically it is not a catastrophic bleed, and symptoms would relate to the location of the malformation.  You, or someone else, would definitely know it if you had a bleed in the medulla. The cause of cavernous malformations is not well known, but they do not form as a result of trauma.  They do, however, have a classic image on MRI.
Whether you have a cavernous malformation of the medulla is not clear.  This is an extremely important area as it connects the brain with the rest of the body.  Also, a bleed in the medulla from trauma would be unusual.  Your physician may consider an MRI to better define the lesion you are describing.
Good luck.