Treatment of Spinal Cavernous Malformations: A Systematic Review

This systematic review evaluates the optimal treatment strategies for spinal cavernous malformations, which are rare vascular lesions within the spinal cord. Researchers analyzed 50 studies involving over 2,300 patients to compare the results of surgical intervention against conservative management. While surgery was the most common approach and often led to neurological improvement, the sources highlight that surgical patients typically had more severe symptoms at the start. The study also determined a pooled annual hemorrhage rate of approximately 4.8% for these lesions. Ultimately, the authors conclude that high risk-of-bias and a lack of prospective data prevent a definitive preference for one treatment over the other. Future multicenter research is recommended to better inform clinical decisions and establish long-term outcomes.