AS Roma have confirmed that defender Leandro Castan will undergo brain surgery to resolve a malformation.
The 28 year-old Brazilian centre-back made his last appearance for the Serie A club on September 13th against Empoli. Castan was substituted at halftime after reportedly suffering from dizziness.
Subsequent tests have revealed that the player had an accumulation of fluid which resulted in some swelling of his brain. There was speculation in the Italian press that the defender may have cancer, but the player and club have denied those rumors. Roma manager Rudi Garcia confirmed that the issue with Castan is not life threatening.
A statement on AS Roma’s official website reads: “After the Empoli v. Roma match, Leandro Castan suffered a bout of acute dizziness.”
“The player underwent medical tests in the days after the match, which revealed a congenital vascular alteration in his brain, a condition more commonly know as a cavernoma.”
“Inside the caveroma, the tests revealed a small edema and, as a consequence, temporary swelling. This was the cause of the symptoms reported by the player, which subsided of their own accord within a few days.”
“Although the caveroma does not represent a threat to the player’s life – indeed, he is currently in peak condition – he is at risk of re-occurrences.”
“Therefore, the medical staff, club and player have agreed that he will undergo neurosurgery at the beginning of December in order to definitively cure the problem. This will allow him to resume regular competitive sporting activity.”
