[MUSIC PLAYING]

PAUL LINDELL: Getting the diagnosis right the first time is critical. It offers immediate therapy. It offers closure. When we look at the MRI, we see a characteristic pattern of signal that helps us understand that this is a cavernous malformation as opposed to other lesions.

GIUSEPPE LANZINO: Cavernous malformation is an abnormal tangle of dilated blood vessels. The classic analogy is that of a mulberry, and that's the gross appearance of a cavernous malformation.

KELLY FLEMMING: A lot of patients have encountered physicians that have never heard of a cavernous malformation or maybe have seen two in their lifetime.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So I think the thing that we offer here at Mayo Clinic is the individual evaluation of the patient and their symptoms.

PAUL LINDELL: Most vascular diseases are very unique to the patient. There are a number of technologies here at Mayo that we use in the Department of Radiology that are not widespread. One of those is a 7 Tesla MRI, which allows us to see with greater resolution within the brain.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

KELLY FLEMMING: Treatment entails a number of steps. Number one, are we sure that the spot, the cavernous malformation, is the cause of the symptoms that the patient is having? And if so, do we take that cavernous malformation out or leave it in? Secondly, we address the symptoms. We have a number of neurosurgeons that specialize in cavernous malformations as well as very delicate brain surgeries.

PAUL LINDELL: The care here allows true collaboration. It allows me to on a daily basis, even, I would say, continuously, consult with my colleagues in other departments.

GIUSEPPE LANZINO: It's important to try as much as possible to treat the patient as one of our family members. And I think that if we're able to do that, you are already a very good doctor, because you always worry, and you don't take anything for granted.

[MUSIC PLAYING]