Exophytic hypothalamic cavernous malformation mimicking an extra-axial suprasellar mass

We report the case of a 31-year-old male who presented to the ER with a 1-week history of progressively worsening, throbbing, left retro-orbital headache, ptosis, and subjective worsening of short-term memory function. Initial review of systems and laboratory data were noncontributory. Non-contrasted CT demonstrated a large hyperdense mass centered in the suprasellar cistern without evidence of dissecting extra-axial hemorrhage. Though the initial appearance mimicked a basilar tip aneurysm or another primary extra-axial suprasellar pathology such as a hemorrhagic or proteinaceous craniopharyngioma, germinoma, or optic glioma, a second smaller, clearly intra-axial, hyperdense lesion was observed in the left periventricular forceps major white matter. Consideration for multiple cavernomas versus hypervascular metastatic disease such as renal malignancy, thyroid malignancy, or melanoma was raised. CTA confirmed normal intracranial vasculature. Subsequent MRI images showed an acutely hemorrhagic mass centered at the left paramedian hypothalamus and tuber cinereum with numerous secondary foci, demonstrating mature hemorrhagic elements and confirming the diagnosis of multiple cavernomas. © Am Soc Emergency Radiol 2011.