Cavernous Hemangioma of Cerebellum: A Rare Cause of Sudden Death

Abstract Vascular malformations are known to present as brain hemorrhage or sudden death (SD). They include arteriovenous malformation (AVM), cavernous hemangioma (CH), venous angioma, telangiectasia and arteriovenous fistula; of which AVM is the most common. CH is a lesser encountered entity that occurs in around 0.5% of the general population. We describe a case of SD in a 65-year-old male patient, who collapsed at home and was pronounced brought dead at the hospital. On postmortem examination, cerebellum showed large ectatic vascular spaces filled with red blood cells. Special stains such as Masson’s Trichrome stain and Van Gieson showed that vessels were collagenized lacking muscular layer, thereby confirming the diagnosis of CH. The novelty of this case provides greater understanding that CH can be dormant in life or cause SD.