MRI features and research advances of symptomatic developmental venous anomaly

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LI Jinbeibei WEN Xinru SONG Jianxun

Cite this article as: LI J B B, WEN X R, SONG J X. MRI features and research advances of symptomatic developmental venous anomaly[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(10): 137-142. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.10.022.

Abstract

[Abstract] Symptomatic developmental venous anomaly (SDVA) of the brain is a clinical subtype of DVA that causes neurological symptoms due to venous hypertension, thrombosis, or mass effect. Common manifestations include hemorrhage, seizures, headaches, and focal neurological deficits. MRI serves as the cornerstone for diagnosing SDVA and evaluating its symptomatic presentations. Its multi-sequence imaging capability clearly reveals the characteristic "caput medusae" sign of DVA—radially arranged medullary veins converging into a draining vein. Multimodal MRI techniques enable comprehensive assessment of lesion hemodynamics, parenchymal injury, and associated complications. Currently, despite the fact that MRI has achieved some accomplishments in research concerning SDVA, there still exist limitations such as the lack of pathological validation and unclear pathophysiological mechanisms. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in MRI-based research on the imaging features of SDVA and its concomitant pathologies, highlighting the critical role of multimodal MRI in improving diagnostic accuracy and elucidating underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Meanwhile, it also points out the limitations of current research and the directions for future studies, aiming to provide references and insights for clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment, and related mechanistic research of SDVA.

[Keywords] symptomatic developmental venous anomaly；vascular malformation；draining vein；multimodal magnetic resonance imaging；magnetic resonance imaging

Contributor Information

LI Jinbeibei¹ WEN Xinru² SONG Jianxun^{1,
2*}

¹ Shenzhen Baoan School of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen 518100, China

² Room of MR, Shenzhen Baoan People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518100, China

Corresponding author: SONG J X, E-mail: songjianxun@126.com

Conflicts of interest None.

Publication Information

Received 2025-07-11

Accepted 2025-10-08

DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.10.022

Text

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