Clinical course and surgical outcomes of cerebral cavernous malformations: Insights from a large single-center experience

Introduction

Clinical decision-making for cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) requires balancing hemorrhage risk against surgery-related morbidity, yet clinically applicable risk stratification remains limited. Research question: To examine hemorrhage during recorded follow-up, postoperative complications, and functional outcomes after conservative and surgical management of CCMs. Material and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 268 patients treated between 2014 and 2021. Clinical, radiological, and treatment variables were collected. Functional outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), analyzed as an ordinal outcome using paired nonparametric tests. Recorded untreated observation was censored at surgery; hemorrhage rates were reported with exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs).