ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dissection of the walls of the cervical and cerebral arteries is rare in childhood. CASE REPORT: A 6 year-old girl suddenly suffered a loss of consciousness followed by a generalized tonic-clonic seizure 90 min after a non-traumatic fall. At admission, she had a massive right hemiplegia with aphasia. The CSF was not hemorrhagic. A CT-scan performed at H3 without infusion of radiopaque contrast material was normal, but a second CT-scan on day 4 showed a low density in the low area of the middle cerebral artery. An arteriogram taken on day 6 showed that the wall of the proximal part of this artery was irregular, with a discrete additive imaging. The child was treated with IV heparin for 3 weeks, then with aspirin. All investigations for the possible cause of thrombosis (protein C and S, antithrombin III, homocystinuria, etc...) were negative. Two further arteriograms, the last after a follow-up of 16 months, showed progressive disappearance of the wall irregularities and replacement of the additive imaging by a large aneurysm, suggesting a dissection. The hemiplegia persists under prolonged aspirin therapy. CONCLUSION: This case shows that dissection may occur in childhood without any apparent cause. It can result in the development of an aneurysm, a complication which is more frequent following dissection of the cervical rather the cerebral arteries.
Subject(s)
Aortic Dissection/diagnostic imaging , Intracranial Aneurysm/diagnostic imaging , Aortic Dissection/complications , Aortic Dissection/diagnosis , Cerebral Angiography , Child , Female , Hemiplegia/etiology , Humans , Intracranial Aneurysm/complications , Intracranial Aneurysm/diagnosisABSTRACT
A case of Gaucher's disease is reported in a 12 year-old girl. Presenting signs consisted of relapsing hip arthritis, while no splenomegaly was detectable. The authors comment the inflammatory or moderately hemorrhagic nature of articular fluid and the diagnostic value of an early decreased uptake on bone scintiscan. The value of magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating bone involvement is emphasized.