Occult vascular malformation: capillary telangiectasia. A case report

Abstract

Capillary telangiectasia is defined as a collection of dilated capillary vessels, without muscular and elastic components, situated within otherwise normal brain parenchyma and accounts for 16-20% of all intracranial vascular malformations, representing the second most common one. It is most frequently found in the pons and it has an asymptomatic natural course, except when the lesions are associated with other vascular malformations or are part of a vascular syndrome. Most are diagnosed as incidental findings in imaging studies performed for other causes. Capillary Telangiectasia is invisible in Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance without contrast, however, after intravenous administration of Gadolinium, it will present as a hyperintense, irregular, “brush-like” enhancing lesion, without individual definition of the vessels. We describe the case of a 1 year and 2 months old patient, previously healthy, who presented with signs of meningo-encephalitis and epileptic status. A Magnetic Resonance Image with and without contrast and an angioresonance were performed, in which, as an incidental finding, a pontine Capillary Telangiectasia, visible only in contrasted images was found. A bibliographic review of said pathology is presented in this article.