Angiomas are tumours in the body formed by the creation or widening of blood vessels. In most cases this happens without ill-effect, but for many the consequences can be disastrous. Cavernous angiomas, or cavernous haemangiomas, as they are sometimes known, typically affect people in the prime of their lives, usually in their 20s or early 30s. A cavernous angioma can cause seizures, stroke symptoms, haemorrhages, dizziness and headaches. For some patients the symptoms appear similar to those of Parkinson's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis. There have been incidents of patients being treated for the wrong condition for years. Ian was teaching at University in America when he was finally diagnosed after being sent for an MRi scan, the most reliable method of detecting the condition. He carried on with his career for ten years before being forced to give up. Today he suffers problems with his eyesight, balance and has a condition which makes one of his hands shake uncontrollably. He also suffers slightly slurred speech which, he says, leads some people to believe he is drunk:
 | | Ian's badge |
"It's why I wear a badge which tells people that I have a condition like Parkinson's disease…it's the white stick syndrome, you feel you have to explain to people what is wrong with you," he says. Ian has now started Angioma Alliance UK, a group which aims to provide information and support for people with the condition and to educate both the general public and the medical profession. He believes that by tackling the ignorance and making the condition better known it can not only improve quality of life for sufferers, but greatly reduce the chances of misdiagnosis. For some time he was thought, wrongly, to have Parkinson's Disease and was treated with a drug commonly used for the condition: "I just knew it wasn't right and could have been doing me harm. Gradually I came off it and went back again to the doctors." Many who have cavernous angioma can be treated surgically but for some, like Ian, the risks are enormous and could leave him worse off than before. However there is hope that new surgical interventions, such as Gamma Knife Surgery, will provide an increased chance of patients improving their quality of life. But for most that remains only a hope for the future.
Facts about Angioma * Cavernous angiomas are estimated to occur in 1 in 100-200 people.
* Most people start having symptoms in their 20s or 30s.
* More than 30% of those with cavernous angioma eventually will develop symptoms.
* Each child of someone with the familial form has a 50% chance of inheriting the illness.
* At least three genes are thought to be implicated in the hereditary form. A mutation in any one of three genes can lead to the illness. Primary symptom:
Seizure – 30%
Neurological problems – 25%
Haemorrhage – 15%
Headache – 5% The medical profession expect to diagnose an increasing number of cases as the use of MRi scanners and other high-tech methods improve detection. For more information email: angiomaalliance@hotmail.co.uk | 
