Developmental Venous Anomalies
Important information:
A developmental venous anomaly, or DVA, is a common type of abnormal blood vessel in the brain and spinal cord. It is a dilation of a normally existing vein. This condition is thought to be congenital, meaning that you are born with the vessel formed this way. It is often found when studies are performed for another reason. Some studies show that up to 5-10% of the population may have a DVA.
Most of the time, DVAs are discovered by accident, and they typically don't cause any problems. Only in rare cases, there might be issues like bleeding, blood clots, stroke, or seizures linked to a DVA, but these are unusual. Symptoms directly caused by a DVA are rare, and if someone does have symptoms, they're often not clearly connected to the DVA itself.
Diagnosis and treatment
A developmental venous anomaly is usually found by chance during brain or spine scans done for other reasons or if there are neurologic symptoms. While ultrasound or CT scans might show it, an MRI is usually needed to confirm.
Sometimes, a developmental venous anomaly might be linked with other vascular issues, like cavernomas. These can need surgery, but DVAs alone usually don't need any surgery. Your healthcare team might suggest another MRI later to ensure things stay the same.
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Reviewed July 2024 by Allison Rodman PA-C