Spinal angiomas

Spinal angiomas, abnormal blood vessel formations along the spine, have become far easier to diagnose and treat thanks to recent progress. Central to this change are selective and superselective spinal angiography, microsurgery, and embolization. Because these methods demand specialized skill, they remain uncommon in many neurosurgical and neuroradiological departments, even though the condition itself is rare.

Faster diagnosis and timely treatment depend on these procedures, and delay is still the leading reason for poor outcomes. Over the past decade or two, research groups in Europe and the United States have built on the work of their teachers and on Wyburn-Mason's influential 1943 study to expand the diagnostic and therapeutic toolkit. Their work has deepened understanding of the morphology, physiology, and clinical course of the disease.

Although many problems remain open, the author sets out the general principles of clinical diagnosis, surgical treatment, and embolization in this monograph.