Causes And Risk Factors For A Cavernous Malformation

Ethnicity And Race

An individual who is of a particular ethnicity and race has an increased risk of developing cavernous malformations than individuals of other ethnicities and races. The prevalence of cavernous malformations among the general population is between 0.4 percent to 0.8 percent, even though they are the most prevalent malformation of a vascular nature. The prevalence of cavernous malformations is equal among males and females in the population. In the United States, over half of all Hispanic individuals diagnosed with cavernous malformations are affected by a familial form of the disease. However, only ten to twenty percent of Caucasian individuals affected by a cavernous malformation is diagnosed with a familial form of the disease. The reason behind this prevalence of familial cavernous malformation disease in individuals of Hispanic ethnicity over other races is not known, and few studies have been carried out to investigate this particular characteristic or part of the disease etiology.