Vascular Malformations of the Brain

Radiosurgery

The use of stereotactic radiosurgery to treat cavernous malformation is an area where reputable groups disagree about best practices. At Boston Children's Hospital the neurosurgeons have found that radiosurgery usually leads to swelling which may require long-term steroid treatments. It also does not completely obliterate the malformation and symptoms may persist years after the treatment. At Children's Hospital, radiosurgery is used only as a last resort when surgery is too dangerous and symptoms become intractable.