Importancia del tamaño de las tuberosidades en las complicaciones del complejo esclerosis tuberosa / Significance of tuber size for complications of tuberous sclerosis complex

Introducción: El complejo esclerosis tuberosa (CET) es uno de los trastornos neurocutáneos más frecuentes. Las tuberosidades corticales son las alteraciones patológicas más frecuentes y están relacionadas directamente con las principales expresiones clínicas, crisis epilépticas, retraso mental y comportamiento autista. El motivo de este trabajo es mostrar la importancia de los diferentes tipos de tuberosidades en la expresión clínica de los pacientes. Objetivo: La finalidad de este trabajo es relacionar el tamaño de las tuberosidades con la severidad de las alteraciones clínicas. Material y métodos: Se estudiaron retrospectivamente los hallazgos clínicos y neurorradiológicos de 45 pacientes infantiles (22 mujeres y 23 varones) con CET y comparamos los hallazgos clínicos con la localización, el tamaño y el número de las tuberosidades corticales en cada paciente. Resultados: Cuatro pacientes tenían tuberosidades muy voluminosas en los hemisferios cerebrales. Todas mostraban crisis epilépticas muy rebeldes y retraso mental profundo con comportamiento autista en 3 de ellos, pese a que se extirparon las tuberosidades en los 4 casos. Trece pacientes tenían tuberosidades de tamaño promedio-grande. Todos tenían crisis epilépticas muy rebeldes y retraso mental. Nueve pacientes habían tenido espasmos infantiles durante el primer año de vida y presentaban comportamiento autista. Veintiocho pacientes mostraban muchas tuberosidades de tamaño promedio-pequeño. La mayoría de ellos tenían crisis con buena respuesta al tratamiento farmacológico y poca prevalencia del autismo. Tres pacientes mostraban tuberosidad córtico-subcortical única en un polo frontal u occipital, todos ellos con crisis controladas con medicación y cociente intelectual normal. Trece pacientes de los 45 tenían tuberosidades cerebelosas, siempre asociadas a algún tipo de tuberosidad hemisférica y generalmente presentes en casos con mayor expresividad clínica. Conclusiones: Las tuberosidades de gran tamaño, aunque sean poco numerosas, tienen mucha mayor relación con la presencia de sintomatología clínica severa —crisis epilépticas, retraso mental y comportamiento autista— que las tuberosidades de pequeño-mediano tamaño, aunque sean muy numerosas (AU)

Introduction: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is one of the most frequent neurocutaneous disorders. Cortical tubers are the most common pathological changes in TSC and they are directly related to the disease's main clinical manifestations: seizures, mental retardation, and autistic behaviour. Objective: The aim of this study is to establish a correlation between tuber size and the severity of clinical features in TSC. Material and methods: We performed a retrospective study of the clinical and imaging findings from 45 TSC patients (22 females and 23 males) and compared the clinical features with the location, size, and number of the cortical tubers in each patient. Results: Four patients had voluminous tubers located in 1 or both cerebral hemispheres. All of these patients had intractable seizures and severe mental retardation; 3 of these cases also presented with autistic behaviour, despite tubers having been resected in all 4 patients. Thirteen patients had tubers of large-to-average size, and all patients in this group showed intractable seizures and mental retardation. Nine patients who had experienced infantile spasms during the first year of life presented autistic behaviour. Multiple tubers of small to average size were found in 28 patients. In general, this group had seizures that responded well to antiepileptic drugs and a low prevalence of autism. In 3 patients who all presented good seizure control and normal intelligence, single cortical/subcortical tubers were located in the frontal or occipital lobes. Of the total of 45 patients, 13 had cerebellar as well as cerebral tubers; these were generally present in cases with more severe clinical features. Conclusions: Although large tubers are less common than small to medium-sized ones, they are much more likely to be accompanied by severe clinical symptoms (seizures, mental retardation and autistic behaviour), even when the smaller tubers are quite numerous (AU)

Significance of tuber size for complications of tuberous sclerosis complex.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is one of the most frequent neurocutaneous disorders. Cortical tubers are the most common pathological changes in TSC and they are directly related to the disease's main clinical manifestations: seizures, mental retardation, and autistic behaviour. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to establish a correlation between tuber size and the severity of clinical features in TSC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of the clinical and imaging findings from 45 TSC patients (22 females and 23 males) and compared the clinical features with the location, size, and number of the cortical tubers in each patient. RESULTS: Four patients had voluminous tubers located in 1 or both cerebral hemispheres. All of these patients had intractable seizures and severe mental retardation; 3 of these cases also presented with autistic behaviour, despite tubers having been resected in all 4 patients. Thirteen patients had tubers of large-to-average size, and all patients in this group showed intractable seizures and mental retardation. Nine patients who had experienced infantile spasms during the first year of life presented autistic behaviour. Multiple tubers of small to average size were found in 28 patients. In general, this group had seizures that responded well to antiepileptic drugs and a low prevalence of autism. In 3 patients who all presented good seizure control and normal intelligence, single cortical/subcortical tubers were located in the frontal or occipital lobes. Of the total of 45 patients, 13 had cerebellar as well as cerebral tubers; these were generally present in cases with more severe clinical features. CONCLUSIONS: Although large tubers are less common than small to medium-sized ones, they are much more likely to be accompanied by severe clinical symptoms (seizures, mental retardation and autistic behaviour), even when the smaller tubers are quite numerous.

Displasia cortical focal. Correlaciones clínico-radiológicas-patológicas / Focal cortical dysplasia. Clinical-radiological-pathological associations

Introducción: El término displasia cortical focal (DCF) expresa una patología muy particular de trastorno de la migración que conlleva una sintomatología caracterizada principalmente por crisis epilépticas fármaco-resistentes, unas imágenes neurorradiológicas y unas características histológicas peculiares, así como una respuesta al tratamiento quirúrgico muy positiva en la mayoría de los casos.Material y métodos: Se estudia a 7 pacientes, 6 niños con edad promedio de 34,3 meses y un varón de 25 años con crisis focales muy rebeldes e imágenes de RM que mostraban DCF. Resultados: Tres de los pacientes (todas niñas) fueron operadas en edades muy tempranas, con extirpación de la DCF y la zona circundante, demostrando el estudio anatómico la concordancia de las imágenes de RM con las macroscópicas de los cortes anatómicos. El estudio histológico mostró los típicos hallazgos de la DCF tipo Taylor (mala delimitación entre sustancia gris cortical y la sustancia blanca subcortical, y «células balonadas»). Tres años después de la resección de la DCF los 3 pacientes estaban curados de las crisis y sin medicación antiepiléptica. Dos de los pacientes están controlados de las crisis con medicación, otro (el adulto) está en espera de decisión quirúrgica y el restante desechó la operación. Conclusión: La DCF tipo Taylor es una patología asociada a una buena parte de las crisis focales fármaco-resistentes, que debe tratarse de identificar y de extirpar lo antes posible ya que la cirugía, bien proyectada y realizada, sin dejar residuos displásicos, puede curarla en un alto porcentaje de casos (AU)

Introduction: The term focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) describes a particular migration disorder with a symptomatology mainly characterised by drug-resistant epileptic seizures, typical neuroradiological images, and histological characteristics, as well as a very positive response to surgical treatment in the majority of cases. Material and methods:A total of 7 patients were studied, comprising 6 children with a mean age of 34.3 months and one 25-year-old male with very persistent focal seizures and MRI images that showed FCD. Results:Three of the patients (all girls) were operated on while very young, with extirpation of the FCD and the surrounding area; with the histopathology study showed agreement between the MRI images and the macroscopic study of the slices. The histology study showed findings typical of a Taylor-type FCD (poor differentiation between the cortical grey matter and the subcortical white matter, and balloon cells). Three years after the FCD extirpation, the same 3 patients remained seizure-free with no anti-epilepsy medication. Two others have seizure control with medication, another (the adult) is on the surgical waiting list, and the remaining patient refused the operation. Conclusion: Taylor-type FCD is associated with a high percentage of all drug-resistant focal seizures, and it needs to be identified and extirpated as soon as possible. Well planned and well-performed surgery that leaves no remains of dysplasia can cure the disease it in many cases (AU)

Esquisencefalia. Estudio de 16 pacientes / Schizencephaly: a study of 16 patients

Objetivo: Presentar 16 pacientes con esquisencefalia y afectación neurológica recalcando sus características clínicas y de imagen.Material y métodos: Son 16 pacientes, 8 varones y 8 mujeres, todos ellos con edades por debajo de los 3 años al hacerse el diagnóstico de esquisencefalia. En dos casos el diagnóstico se hizo prenatalmente y, en los otros 14, a lo largo de los cinco primeros años de vida. El diagnóstico se hizo por tomografía computarizada (TC) en un caso y por RM tridimensional (RM3D) con un aparato de 1,5 T en los otros casos. Los motivos de la consulta fueron retraso psicomotor, trastornos motores y/o crisis epilépticas en la mayoría de los pacientes. Resultados: La esquisencefalia era de labios abiertos bilaterales en 5 pacientes (dos de ellos por citomegalia durante la gestación), labios abiertos unilaterales en 2 pacientes, 8 mostraban esquisencefalia unilateral de labios cerrados y 1 tenía esquisencefalia de labios abiertos en un lado y cerrados en otro. En dos pacientes se diagnosticó infección prenatal por citomegalovirus y en otros dos se diagnosticó malformación cerebral central prenatal por ecografía rutinaria durante la gestación. Todos los pacientes presentaban algún tipo de deficiencia motriz uni o bilateral. Ocho pacientes padecían crisis epilépticas (50%) parciales en todos los casos y solo en uno de ellos se generalizaban. Este último caso fue el único en el que las crisis no llegaron a ser controladas. Todos los pacientes presentaban algún tipo de deficiencia motriz, generalmente benigna, unilateral (hemiparesia) o bilateral (tetraparesia). Conclusión: La RM3D es muy importante para el diagnóstico de la esquisencefalia ya que permite ver la capa de polimicrogiria que tapiza los labios de la malformación y, por ello, la diferenciación con las cavidades porencefálicas (AU)

Objective: To present 16 patients with schizencephaly and neurological involvement, and analyse their characteristics and neuroimages. Material and methods:The study included 16 patients, 8 males and 8 females, all of whom were diagnosed with schizencephaly at less than 3 years of age; 2 patients were diagnosed prenatally. Schizencephaly was identified by computerized tomography (CT) in 1 patient and by MR or three-dimensional MR (3DMR) with a 1.5tesla apparatus in the others. Most patients were referred for evaluation because of psychomotor delay, motor disabilities and/or seizures. Results: Five patients had bilateral schizencephaly with open lips (2 of them had suffered intrauterine cytomegalovirus infections); 2 showed unilateral schizencephaly with separated lips, 8 presented unilateral schizencephaly with fused lips, and 1 had schizencephaly with open lips on one side and fused lips on the other. Prenatal cytomegalovirus infection was diagnosed in 2 patients. A cerebral malformation that affected the midline was diagnosed by routine ultrasound studies in 2 patients. Eight patients (50%) presented with seizures that were focal, except for one patient who showed secondary generalisation. The latter was the only patient whose disease was refractory to complete seizure control with antiepileptic medication. All patients had some degree of motor deficit, which was either unilateral (hemiparesis) or bilateral (tetraparesis). Conclusion:3D MR imaging was very important in diagnosing of schizencephaly in our patients because it showed the polymicrogyria that covered the area of the cleft and permitted us to rule out porencephaly. Neuronal migration disorders such as heterotopias and, more frequently, cortical dysplasias, were observed in several patients. Half of the patients had epilepsy which was controlled with antiepileptic medication, except in 1 patient (AU)

Citomegalia congénita y malformaciones corticales y subcorticales / Congenital cytomegalovirus infection and cortical/subcortical malformations

Introducción: La infección intrauterina por citomegalovirus es la más frecuente de las viriasis/parasitosis intrauterinas que afectan al sistema nervioso central y causan lesiones permanentes tanto en el córtex como en la sustancia blanca subcortical. Son escasos los estudios de resonancia magnética (RM) cerebral.Material y métodos: Seis pacientes (4M y 2V) fueron estudiados desde los primeros meses de vida para hacer el diagnóstico de citomegalia congénita e identificar la presencia de lesiones corticales y subcorticales, utilizando las necesarias secuencias de RM. Resultados: Los 6 pacientes mostraban malformaciones del desarrollo cortical (MDC) (esquisencefalia, polimicrogiria o lisencefalia-paquigiria) desde la época neonatal y alteraciones difusas de la sustancia blanca, que se mantuvieron con pocos cambios durante los dos primeros años y después se iban reduciendo de tamaño en forma de zonas de hiperseñal en T2, circunscritas a determinadas áreas y permanecían con pocos cambios durante algunos años más. Conclusión:La infección intrauterina por citomegalovirus causa lesiones en sustancia gris cortical, que consisten en MDC y en sustancia blanca subcortical. Estas últimas muestran aspecto cambiante, ya que aparecen como áreas difusas y amplias de hiperseñal, que se suelen interpretar como retraso en la mielinización, pero que también pueden ser causadas directamente por el virus de la citomegalia. Estas alteraciones de la sustancia blanca sufren cambios morfológicos a lo largo de los primeros años de vida, dejando atrofia cerebral. Las secuelas neurológicas que dejan estas alteraciones son severas y crónicas (AU)

Introduction: Intrauterine infection due to cytomegalovirus is the most common of the intrauterine viral/parasitic infections that affect the central nervous system and cause permanent lesions in the cortex as well as the subcortical white matter. Studies using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are limited. Material and methods: Six patients (4 females and 2 males) were studied in the first months of life in order to make a diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus, and identify the cortical and subcortical lesions using the necessary MRI sequences. Results: The six patients showed malformations of cortical development (MDC) (schizencephaly, polymicrogyria or lissencephaly-pachygyria) from the neonatal period, and diffuse changes of the white matter, which remained with few changes during the first two years. They then began reducing in size in the form of high signal areas in T2, restricted to certain areas, and were evident for a few years more with little change. Conclusion: Intrauterine infection due to cytomegalovirus causes changes in the cortical grey matter, which consists of MDC, and in the subcortical white matter. The latter show a changing aspect as they appear as diffuse and wide areas of high signal intensity, which is usually due to delay in myelinisation, but could also be caused directly by the cytomegalovirus. These changes in the white matter are subjected to morphological changes throughout the first years of life, leading to brain atrophy. The neurological sequelae of these lesions left by these alterations are severe and chronic (AU)

[Congenital cytomegalovirus infection and cortical/subcortical malformations]. / Citomegalia congénita y malformaciones corticales y subcorticales.

INTRODUCTION: Intrauterine infection due to cytomegalovirus is the most common of the intrauterine viral/parasitic infections that affect the central nervous system and cause permanent lesions in the cortex as well as the subcortical white matter. Studies using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are limited. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six patients (4 females and 2 males) were studied in the first months of life in order to make a diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus, and identify the cortical and subcortical lesions using the necessary MRI sequences. RESULTS: The six patients showed malformations of cortical development (MDC) (schizencephaly, polymicrogyria or lissencephaly-pachygyria) from the neonatal period, and diffuse changes of the white matter, which remained with few changes during the first two years. They then began reducing in size in the form of high signal areas in T2, restricted to certain areas, and were evident for a few years more with little change. CONCLUSION: Intrauterine infection due to cytomegalovirus causes changes in the cortical grey matter, which consists of MDC, and in the subcortical white matter. The latter show a changing aspect as they appear as diffuse and wide areas of high signal intensity, which is usually due to delay in myelinisation, but could also be caused directly by the cytomegalovirus. These changes in the white matter are subjected to morphological changes throughout the first years of life, leading to brain atrophy. The neurological sequelae of these lesions left by these alterations are severe and chronic.

Focal cortical dysplasia. Clinical-radiological-pathological associations.

INTRODUCTION: The term focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) describes a particular migration disorder with a symptomatology mainly characterised by drug-resistant epileptic seizures, typical neuroradiological images, and histological characteristics, as well as a very positive response to surgical treatment in the majority of cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 7 patients were studied, comprising 6 children with a mean age of 34.3 months and one 25-year-old male with very persistent focal seizures and MRI images that showed FCD. RESULTS: Three of the patients (all girls) were operated on while very young, with extirpation of the FCD and the surrounding area; with the histopathology study showed agreement between the MRI images and the macroscopic study of the slices. The histology study showed findings typical of a Taylor-type FCD (poor differentiation between the cortical grey matter and the subcortical white matter, and balloon cells). Three years after the FCD extirpation, the same 3 patients remained seizure-free with no anti-epilepsy medication. Two others have seizure control with medication, another (the adult) is on the surgical waiting list, and the remaining patient refused the operation. CONCLUSION: Taylor-type FCD is associated with a high percentage of all drug-resistant focal seizures, and it needs to be identified and extirpated as soon as possible. Well planned and well-performed surgery that leaves no remains of dysplasia can cure the disease it in many cases.

Schizencephaly: a study of 16 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To present 16 patients with schizencephaly and neurological involvement, and analyse their characteristics and neuroimages. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 16 patients, 8 males and 8 females, all of whom were diagnosed with schizencephaly at less than 3 years of age; 2 patients were diagnosed prenatally. Schizencephaly was identified by computerized tomography (CT) in 1 patient and by MR or three-dimensional MR (3DMR) with a 1.5tesla apparatus in the others. Most patients were referred for evaluation because of psychomotor delay, motor disabilities and/or seizures. RESULTS: Five patients had bilateral schizencephaly with open lips (2 of them had suffered intrauterine cytomegalovirus infections); 2 showed unilateral schizencephaly with separated lips, 8 presented unilateral schizencephaly with fused lips, and 1 had schizencephaly with open lips on one side and fused lips on the other. Prenatal cytomegalovirus infection was diagnosed in 2 patients. A cerebral malformation that affected the midline was diagnosed by routine ultrasound studies in 2 patients. Eight patients (50%) presented with seizures that were focal, except for one patient who showed secondary generalisation. The latter was the only patient whose disease was refractory to complete seizure control with antiepileptic medication. All patients had some degree of motor deficit, which was either unilateral (hemiparesis) or bilateral (tetraparesis). CONCLUSION: 3D MR imaging was very important in diagnosing of schizencephaly in our patients because it showed the polymicrogyria that covered the area of the cleft and permitted us to rule out porencephaly. Neuronal migration disorders such as heterotopias and, more frequently, cortical dysplasias, were observed in several patients. Half of the patients had epilepsy which was controlled with antiepileptic medication, except in 1 patient.

Cutaneous, mediastinal and hepatic hemangiomas in a girl followed during 12 years.

We present in this paper the case of a 12-year-old girl who had the clinical features of 2 different disorders: neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and 3 hemangiomas located in the skin, liver and mediastinum. The patient did not receive any specific treatment and showed a normal progressive evolution that lasted 1 / to 2 years and a very slow regression that lasted for a more prolonged time than expected (the 3 hemangiomas have not completely disappeared yet), although all 3 have been asymptomatic. MRI of the brain did not disclose a hemangioblastoma of the cerebellum or any other vascular lesion of the brain. Mental development of this girl was in the borderline range, as is commonly seen in Pascual-Castroviejo II syndrome (P-CIIS)/PHACE syndrome and in NF1, 2 syndromes which have not been reported to be associated in the same patient previously.

Persistence of the stapedial artery associated with facial hemangioma: a case report.

We report on a girl with a left facial hemangioma and absence of the right ear and canal who also showed absence of the left vertebral and anterior cerebral arteries (ipsilateral to the facial hemangioma), and absence of the external carotid artery and presence of stapedial artery on the right side (contralateral to the facial hemangioma and ipsilateral to the auditory organ malformation). Persistence of the stapedial artery may be related to the facial hemangioma or with the hemifacial hypoplasia with similar possibilities. This is the first case to the best of our knowledge of the association between P-CIIS and a persistent stapedial artery.

[Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma in tuberous sclerosis complex. A presentation of eight paediatric patients]. / Astrocitoma subependimario de células gigantes en el complejo de esclerosis tuberosa. Presentación de ocho pacientes infantiles.

OBJECTIVE: Presentation of 8 patients with subependymal giant-cell astrocytomas (SGCA) associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: There are 8 patients, 6 males and 2 females with TSC, who presented with the tumour between the neonatal period and 24 years. RESULTS: All patients showed bilateral hypersignalised areas in zones close to the foramen of Monro. Three of the patients were admitted urgently due to blindness and increased intracranial pressure. Incomplete removal of the tumour has always been bad solution as it resulted in the death of the patient (in one case) or further surgery operation in the short term. Only one patient developed the tumour suddenly from pre-existing subependymal nodules from the childhood and they had to be removed at 24 years of age. By contrast, 32 patients with TSC and images of subependymal nodules whose CT or MR progress was followed up for between 10 and 30 years did not develop a tumour. One patient had to be operated four times over 20 years. CONCLUSIONS: SGCA associated with TSC is a severe complication which as likely to develop and careful monitoring is required from neonatal age with periodicclinical and imaging studies in order to avoid its irreversible complications. Hydrocephaly, blindness and even the death can be the main consequences. Reintervention of the recurrent tumour is often necessary.

Astrocitoma subependimario de células gigantes en el complejo de esclerosis tuberosa. Presentación de ocho pacientes infantiles / Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma in tuberous sclerosis complex. A presentation of eight paediatric patients

Objetivo: Presentar 8 pacientes con astrocitomas subependimarios de células gigantes (ASGC) en relación con el complejo de esclerosis tuberosa (CET). Material y métodos: Ocho pacientes, 6 varones y 2 mujeres, con CET, que desarrollaron el tumor entre la etapa neonatal y los 24 años.Resultados: Todos mostraban áreas localizadas bilaterales de hiperseñal, en zonas próximas a los foramina de Monro. Tres ingresaron urgentemente con ceguera e hipertensión intracraneal. La extirpación parcial del tumor fue siempre una mala solución ya que acabó en reintervenciones a corto, medio o largo plazo o en la muerte de un paciente. Sólo en un caso vimos desarrollarse el tumor desde las zonas de hiperseñal subependimaria a partir de la preadolescencia para acabar en extirpación a los 24 años, mientras que 32 pacientes a los que se siguió la evolución de estas zonas de hiperseñal entre 10 y 30 años no desarrollaron tumor. Un paciente tuvo que ser operado cuatro veces a lo largo de 20 años por recidiva del tumor; se extirpó otro ASGC en el lado contralateral al mismo tiempo de la cuatra intervención en el lado del tumor primitivo. Otros 2 pacientes también mostraron recidiva y tuvieron que ser reintervenidos del tumor.Conclusiones: El ASGC en relación con CET es una complicación grave cuya posibilidad de desarrollo hay que controlar cuidadosamente desde la época neonatal, con estudios periódicos clínicos y de imagen, para evitar sus complicaciones irreversibles. La hidrocefalia, la ceguera e incluso la muerte pueden ser sus consecuencias. La reintervención de tumores recidivados a menudo es necesaria (AU)

Objective: Presentation of 8 patients with subependymal giant-cell astrocytomas (SGCA) associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).Material and methods: There are 8 patients, 6 males and 2 females with TSC, who presented with the tumour between the neonatal period and 24 years. Results: All patients showed bilateral hypersignalised areas in zones close to the foramen of Monro. Three of the patients were admitted urgently due to blindness and increased intracranial pressure. Incomplete removal of the tumour has always been bad solution as it resulted in the death of the patient (in one case) or further surgery operation in the short term. Only one patient developed the tumour suddenly from pre-existing subependymal nodules from the childhood and they had to be removed at 24 years of age. By contrast, 32 patients with TSC and images of subependymal nodules whose CT or MR progress was followed up for between 10 and 30 years did not develop a tumour. One patient had to be operated four times over 20 years.Conclusions: SGCA associated with TSC is a severe complication which as likely to develop and careful monitoring is required from neonatal age with periodicclinical and imaging studies in order to avoid its irreversible complications. Hydrocephaly, blindness and even the death can be the main consequences. Reintervention of the recurrent tumour is often necessary (AU)

Association of cutaneous red-to-purple hemangiomas with leptomeningeal hemangiomas. a clinical study of two patients.

Cutaneous hemangioma is a benign vascular tumor of infancy with an initial proliferating period that appears between 1 to 2 weeks of life, extends during 18 months to 2 years of life, and then slowly regresses during several years until it disappears completely. They are characterized by endothelial cell proliferation followed by diminishing hyperplasia and progressive fibrosis. Vascular malformations are present at birth, grow commensurately with the child, and are characterized histologically by a normal rate of endothelial cell turnover, flat endothelium, thin (normal) basal membrane and normal mast cells. These cutaneous anomalies are commonly associated with cerebellar malformations, main cerebral arteries anomalies, congenital cardiac anomalies and/or coarctation of the aorta and persistence of embryonic arteries. Cutaneous hemangiomas can be associated with intracranial or extracranial hemangiomas that regress at the same time as the cutaneous hemangiomas. Cutaneous hemangiomas may show different types of color. Cutaneous red-to-purple hemangiomas are uncommon and their bright-red color is evident from the first weeks of life and remains unaltered until the hemangioma disappears. The intracranial angiographic studies in our series of more than 50 cases with facial hemangioma showed that patients with red-to-purple hemangiomas are commonly associated with localized leptomeningeal hemangiomas either in the ipsilateral or contralateral side. These leptomingeal hemangiomas were visualized only by MR enhanced with gadolinium. Involution of the cutaneous and leptomeningeal hemangiomas seems to occur simultaneously as in other types of external and internal hemangiomas.

Congenital and evolving vascular disorders associated with cutaneous hemangiomas: case report.

Conventional arteriography in an 11-month-old boy with cardiopathy, aortic arch coarctation and haemangiomas showed the absence of the right internal carotid and vertebral arteries, hypertrophy of the right external carotid artery, with enlargement of the internal maxillary and ophthalmic arteries that supplied the right cerebral hemisphere. An MRI study showed an infarcted area in the posterior zone of the left cerebral hemisphere vascularised by the middle cerebral artery that was caused by a thrombosis during a severe bout of gastroenteritis. MRA studies performed at 16 and 23 years of age revealed progressive narrowing of the left carotid and vertebral arteries, persistence of the proatlantal and trigeminal arteries, and poor cerebral vascularisation that, at adult age, was entirely supplied through collateral arteries, branches of both external carotids, the presence of unilateral duplication of the vertebral arteries and ascending pharyngeal artery.

Hiperactividad. ¿Existe frontera entre personalidad y patología? / Hyperactivity. Is there a border between personality and pathology?)

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[Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Study of 7 patients]. / Neurofibromatosis tipo 2 (NF2). Estudio de 7 pacientes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to present the cases of 7 young children and young adult with type 2 neurofibromatosis (NF2). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seven patients, 5 females and 2 males, aged 2 to 33 years, were studied by intracranial and spinal magnetic resonance (MRI) and clinically. In 5 patients, the symptoms because around the time of the diagnosis while 2 patients, who had no previous symptoms, were diagnosed by MRI after undergoing the test because a parent had been diagnosed of NF2 by MRI. RESULTS: All 7 patients had bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS) and only two had no associated intracranial and/or spinal tumors. Four patients had intracranial meningiomas, mainly located in the lesser wing of the temporal fossa and in the falx, and 5 had spinal cord tumors (ependymomas and meningiomas). An attempt to made to remove the VS in all but one case, however, it was not possible to remove completely the tumors in any case. Deafness was the common sequel in all operated cases, associated with permanent bilateral facial paralysis in one and unilateral facial parenthesis in another. CONCLUSION: A comparison of our series of NF1 and NF2 cases shows that the ratio of NF2:NF1 in childhood is approximately 1:100, and that the clinical features of NF2 are considerably more severe than in NF1.

Neurofibromatosis tipo 2 (NF2). Estudio de 7 pacientes / Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Study of 7 patients

Objetivo. Presentar 7 pacientes de edades infantil y adulto joven con neurofibromatosis tipo 2 (NF2). Material y métodos. Siete pacientes, 5 mujeres y 2 varones, con edades comprendidas entre 2 y 33 años fueron estudiados clínicamente y por resonancia magnética (RM) intracraneal y espinal. En 5 pacientes los síntomas comenzaron a manifestarse en fechas en que se hizo el diagnóstico. En 2 pacientes, sin sintomatología previa, el diagnóstico fue hecho por RM tras habérselo hecho a sus progenitores con NF2. Resultados. Los 7 pacientes presentaban schwannoma vestibular (SV) bilateral y en sólo dos de ellos no existía asociación con otros tumores intracraneales y/o espinales. Cuatro pacientes tenían meningiomas intracraneales localizados principalmente en la zona de fosa temporal-ala menor del esfenoides y en la hoz del cerebro, y 5 tumores espinales (ependimomas y meningiomas). Se intentó la extirpación de los SV en todos los casos menos en uno y no se consiguió de forma completa en ninguno, quedando sordera en todos ellos. En uno también quedó parálisis facial bilateral permanente postquirúrgica y en otro parestesias faciales en el lado operado. Conclusión. A la vista de nuestras series de NF1 y NF2 en la infancia, la proporción NF2:NF1 es de 1:100, con una incomparable mayor repercusión clínica sobre los pacientes en la NF2 que en la NF1 (AU)

Objective: The aim of this paper is to present the cases of 7 young children and young adult with type 2 neurofibromatosis (NF2). Material and methods: Seven patients, 5 females and 2 males, aged 2 to 33 years, were studied by intracranial and spinal magnetic resonance (MRI) and clinically. In 5 patients, the symptoms because around the time of the diagnosis while 2 patients, who had no previous symptoms, were diagnosed by MRI after undergoing the test because a parent had been diagnosed of NF2 by MRI. Results: All 7 patients had bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS) and only two had no associated intracranial and/or spinal tumors. Four patients had intracranial meningiomas, mainly located in the lesser wing of the temporal fossa and in the falx, and 5 had spinal cord tumors (ependymomas and meningiomas). An attempt to made to remove the VS in all but one case, however, it was not possible to remove completely the tumors in any case. Deafness was the common sequel in all operated cases, associated with permanent bilateral facial paralysis in one and unilateral facial parenthesis in another. Conclusion: A comparison of our series of NF1 and NF2 cases shows that the ratio of NF2:NF1 in childhood is approximately 1:100, and that the clinical features of NF2 are considerably more severe than in NF1 (AU)

Heterotopías focales subcorticales: sus diferentes tamaños / Subcortical focal heterotopias: their different sizes

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