Cavernous sinus hemangioma clinical and neuroimaging features

A patient presented with an isolated left sixth nerve palsy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a sharply marginated 3 cm lesion in the left cavernous sinus, which was isointense to gray matter on T1-weighted images, hyperintense on T2-weighted images, and enhanced with paramagnetic contrast material. Cerebral angiography showed a homogeneous blush fed by an enlarged meningohypophyseal artery. The neuroimaging findings were thought to be most consistent with the diagnosis of a cavernous sinus meningioma. At the time of surgery, a vascular mass was encountered, and a biopsy was consistent with a cavernous hemangioma. This report describes the clinical and neuroimaging features of cavernous sinus hemangiomas that may help to differentiate them from other cavernous sinus lesions.