Incidental Discovery of a Developmental Venous Anomaly: A Case Report of a 37-Year-Old Female with Chronic Headaches

Sara Omari Tadlaoui¹, Bouchra Dahmani², Zineb Moudafia², Siham Alaoui Rachidi ²

Keywords: Developmental venous anomaly, chronic headaches, gliosis, caput medusae, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

DOI: 10.63475/yjm.v4i1.0023

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.63475/yjm.v4i1.0023

Publish Date: 23-05-2025

Pages: 178 - 180

Downloads: 2

Author Affiliation:

1 Consultant, Department of Radiology, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Morocco
2 Consultant, Department of Neurology, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Morocco

Abstract

Developmental venous anomalies (DVAs) are congenital vascular malformations often found incidentally on neuroimaging. This case report describes a 37-year-old female with chronic headaches and an incidentally discovered DVA in the left frontal lobe. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a classic "caput medusae" pattern without hemorrhage or associated cavernous malformation. This case highlights the importance of recognizing DVAs as incidental findings, differentiating them from other causes of chronic headaches, and understanding the significance of associated imaging findings.