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Case Report
Multiple brain cavernomas and pregnancy: Risk of seizures during obstetrical management
1 Department of Medical Education, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
2 Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Women’s Wellness and Research Center, Doha, Qatar
3 Department of Neurosurgery, Neuroscience Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
4 Department of Clinical Academic Sciences, College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
5 Department of Neurological Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Doha, Qatar
Address correspondence to:
Arshad Ali
MBBS, MPH, Associate Consultant Neurosurgery, Assistant Professor Weill Cornell, Neuroscience Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, PO Box 3050, Doha,
Qatar
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Article ID: 101496Z01DM2025
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Al Mokhtar D, Dauleh W, Ali A, Sayed G. Multiple brain cavernomas and pregnancy: Risk of seizures during obstetrical management. Int J Case Rep Images 2025;16(1):38–42.ABSTRACT
Introduction: Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are linked to seizures and severe complications, including intracranial hemorrhage. Research on CCMs during pregnancy is limited, with only a few case series and observational studies available. This report examines the management of CCMs during pregnancy, emphasizing the risks of seizures and their treatment in the peri-gestational period.
Case Report: A 25-year-old woman presented with vomiting, dizziness, diplopia, and difficulty walking. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected small brain lesions consistent with multiple cavernomas. Two years later, during her first pregnancy, she was closely monitored by an OBGYN team and underwent a cesarean section due to her pre-existing neurological condition. Afterward, she displayed mild symptoms but had stable neurological evaluations. Her second pregnancy was uneventful, yet she underwent another cesarean section. Following delivery, she had two seizure episodes and was prescribed levetiracetam. During her last follow-up, 18 months later, she remained stable and seizure-free.
Conclusion: The risk of developing epilepsy during pregnancy, labor, or postpartum in CCM patients is unknown. Vaginal delivery is safe for certain patients; however, hormonal changes may increase seizure risk in those with pre-existing CCMs. Further research is required to clarify the relationship between CCMs and pregnancy and to optimize management strategies.
Keywords: Brain cavernomas, Cerebral venous malformations, Intracranial hemorrhages, Pregnancy, Seizures
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Author Contributions
Dania Al Mokhtar - Conception of the work, Design of the work, Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Drafting the work, Final approval of the version to be published, Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Wafa Dauleh - Conception of the work, Design of the work, Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Drafting the work, Final approval of the version to be published, Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Arshad Ali - Conception of the work, Design of the work, Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Drafting the work, Revising the work critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published, Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Gamal Sayed - Conception of the work, Design of the work, Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Drafting the work, Revising the work critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published, Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Guarantor of SubmissionThe corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of SupportNone
Consent StatementWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this article.
Data AvailabilityAll relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Conflict of InterestAuthors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright© 2025 Dania Al Mokhtar et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.
