Dealing With Brain MRI Findings in Pediatric Patients With Endocrinological Conditions: Less Is More?

Neuroimaging is a key tool in the diagnostic process of various clinical conditions, especially in pediatric endocrinology. Thanks to continuous and remarkable technological developments, magnetic resonance imaging can precisely characterize numerous structural brain anomalies, including the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. Sometimes the use of radiological exams might become excessive and even disproportionate to the patients’ medical needs, especially regarding the incidental findings, the so-called “incidentalomas”. This unclarity is due to the absence of well-defined pediatric guidelines for managing and following these radiological findings. We review and summarize some indications on how to, and even if to, monitor these anomalies over time to avoid unnecessary, expensive, and time-consuming investigations and to encourage a more appropriate follow-up of brain MRI anomalies in the pediatric population with endocrinological conditions.

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“Thyroid nodular disease and PTEN mutation in a multicentre series of children with PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS)”

Endocrine ◽

10.1007/s12020-021-02805-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gerdi Tuli ◽

Jessica Munarin ◽

Alessandro Mussa ◽

Diana Carli ◽

Roberto Gastaldi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Head Circumference ◽

Thyroid Disease ◽

Pediatric Population ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Follicular Adenoma ◽

Pten Gene ◽

Pediatric Endocrinology ◽

Benign Thyroid Disorders ◽

And Gender ◽

Benign Thyroid

Abstract Purpose To report the incidence of 4–12% of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and up to 50% of benign thyroid nodular disease and to describe nodular thyroid disease in a multicentre pediatric population with PTEN mutations. Methods: Retrospective data of pediatric patients with PTEN mutations collected from tertiary Departments of Pediatric Endocrinology of Turin, Milan and Genua, Italy, in the period 2010–2020. Results Seventeen children with PTEN mutations were recruited in the study. Thyroid involvement was present in 12/17 (70.6%) subjects, showing a multinodular struma in 6/17 (35.3%), nodules with benign ultrasound features in 5/17 (29.4%) and a follicular adenoma in 1/17 (6%). No correlation was found between thyroid disease and gender, puberty, vascular manifestations, delayed development, or brain MRI abnormalities, while multiple lipomas were associated with thyroid disease (p = 0.03), as was macrocephaly. Standard Deviation (SD) score head circumference was 4.35 ± 1.35 cm in subjects with thyroid disease, 3 ± 0.43 cm (p = 0.02) in the group without thyroid disease. Thyroid involvement was present in all subjects with mutations in exon 6 (4/4) and exon 8 (3/3) of the PTEN gene (p = 0.02). Conclusion In the presented cohort, benign thyroid disorders were prevalent, with no evidence of DTC. A correlation was found between thyroid lesions and head circumference and the occurrence of multiple lipomas. Future studies in larger cohorts should assess whether risk stratification is needed when recommending surveillance strategies in children or young adolescents with PTEN hamartoma syndrome.

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Brain MRI-findings in Ph - negative myeloproliferative disorders

Terapevticheskii arkhiv ◽

10.26442/00403660.2019.07.000329 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 91 (7) ◽

pp. 29-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M M Tanashyan ◽

A L Melikyan ◽

P I Kuznetsova ◽

A A Raskurazhev ◽

A A Shabalina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cerebrovascular Disease ◽

Sinus Thrombosis ◽

Cerebral Arteries ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Myeloproliferative Disorders ◽

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Cerebral Lesions ◽

Cerebrovascular Pathology ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) are accompanied by a high proportion of thrombotic complications, which may lead to cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Aim. To describe MRI-findings in patients with Ph - negative MPD and evaluate any cerebrovascular disease. Materials and methods. We included 104 patients with Ph - negative MPD (age varied between 20 and 58) with clinical correlates of cerebrovascular pathology. Results. Brain MRI showed post - stroke lesions in 20% of patients (7 hemispheric infarcts due to thrombotic occlusion of one of the large cerebral arteries, 14 - cortical infarcts). 37 patients (36%) had vascular cerebral lesions. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis occurred in 5 patients - in 7% (n=3) of patients with polycythemia vera and 5% (n=2) - in patients with essential thrombocythemia. The incidence of vascular cerebral lesions was associated with higher levels of the following: erythrocyte, platelet count, fibrinogen, and with the decrease in fibrinolytic activity, as well. Conclusion. The pioneering results of the study include the description and analysis of brain MRI-findings in patients with Ph - negative MPD. The underlying mechanisms of cerebrovascular pathology in these patients are associated with certain blood alterations (particularly, hemorheology) which present a major risk factor.

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Normal cerebral ventricular volume growth in childhood

Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics ◽

10.3171/2020.5.peds20178 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 517-524

Author(s):

Noah S. Cutler ◽

Sudharsan Srinivasan ◽

Bryan L. Aaron ◽

Sharath Kumar Anand ◽

Michael S. Kang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Mri ◽

Volume Growth ◽

Ventricular Volume ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

Diagnostic Process ◽

Growth Charts ◽

Normal Brain ◽

Mr Images ◽

Ventricular Volumes ◽

Brain Mr Images

OBJECTIVENormal percentile growth charts for head circumference, length, and weight are well-established tools for clinicians to detect abnormal growth patterns. Currently, no standard exists for evaluating normal size or growth of cerebral ventricular volume. The current standard practice relies on clinical experience for a subjective assessment of cerebral ventricular size to determine whether a patient is outside the normal volume range. An improved definition of normal ventricular volumes would facilitate a more data-driven diagnostic process. The authors sought to develop a growth curve of cerebral ventricular volumes using a large number of normal pediatric brain MR images.METHODSThe authors performed a retrospective analysis of patients aged 0 to 18 years, who were evaluated at their institution between 2009 and 2016 with brain MRI performed for headaches, convulsions, or head injury. Patients were excluded for diagnoses of hydrocephalus, congenital brain malformations, intracranial hemorrhage, meningitis, or intracranial mass lesions established at any time during a 3- to 10-year follow-up. The volume of the cerebral ventricles for each T2-weighted MRI sequence was calculated with a custom semiautomated segmentation program written in MATLAB. Normal percentile curves were calculated using the lambda-mu-sigma smoothing method.RESULTSVentricular volume was calculated for 687 normal brain MR images obtained in 617 different patients. A chart with standardized growth curves was developed from this set of normal ventricular volumes representing the 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles. The charted data were binned by age at scan date by 3-month intervals for ages 0–1 year, 6-month intervals for ages 1–3 years, and 12-month intervals for ages 3–18 years. Additional percentile values were calculated for boys only and girls only.CONCLUSIONSThe authors developed centile estimation growth charts of normal 3D ventricular volumes measured on brain MRI for pediatric patients. These charts may serve as a quantitative clinical reference to help discern normal variance from pathologic ventriculomegaly.

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Comparisons of clinical characteristics, brain MRI findings, and responses to epidural blood patch between spontaneous intracranial hypotension and post-dural puncture headache: retrospective study

BMC Neurology ◽

10.1186/s12883-021-02279-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gha-Hyun Lee ◽

Jiyoung Kim ◽

Hyun-Woo Kim ◽

Jae Wook Cho

Keyword(s):

Intracranial Hypotension ◽

Dural Puncture ◽

Epidural Blood Patch ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension ◽

Vein Of Galen ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Post Dural Puncture Headache ◽

Straight Sinus ◽

Blood Patch

Abstract Background Spontaneous intracranial hypotension and post-dural puncture headache are both caused by a loss of cerebrospinal fluid but present with different pathogeneses. We compared these two conditions concerning their clinical characteristics, brain imaging findings, and responses to epidural blood patch treatment. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with intracranial hypotension admitted to the Neurology ward of the Pusan National University Hospital between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2019, and collected information regarding age, sex, disease duration, hospital course, headache intensity, time to the appearance of a headache after sitting, associated phenomena (nausea, vomiting, auditory symptoms, dizziness), number of epidural blood patch treatments, and prognosis. The brain MRI signs of intracranial hypotension were recorded, including three qualitative signs (diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement, venous distention of the lateral sinus, subdural fluid collection), and six quantitative signs (pituitary height, suprasellar cistern, prepontine cistern, mamillopontine distance, the midbrain-pons angle, and the angle between the vein of Galen and the straight sinus). Results A total of 105 patients (61 spontaneous intracranial hypotension patients and 44 post-dural puncture headache patients) who met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. More patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension required epidural blood patch treatment than those with post-dural puncture headache (70.5% (43/61) vs. 45.5% (20/44); p = 0.01) and the spontaneous intracranial hypotension group included a higher proportion of patients who underwent epidural blood patch treatment more than once (37.7% (23/61) vs. 13.6% (6/44); p = 0.007). Brain MRI showed signs of intracranial hypotension in both groups, although the angle between the vein of Galen and the straight sinus was greater in the post-dural puncture headache group (median [95% Confidence Interval]: 85° [68°-79°] vs. 74° [76°-96°], p = 0.02). Conclusions Patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension received more epidural blood patch treatments and more often needed multiple epidural blood patch treatments. Although both groups showed similar brain MRI findings, the angle between the vein of Galen and the straight sinus differed significantly between the groups.

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Genetic Neonatal-Onset Epilepsies and Developmental/Epileptic Encephalopathies with Movement Disorders: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22084202 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (8) ◽

pp. 4202

Author(s):

Carlotta Spagnoli ◽

Carlo Fusco ◽

Antonio Percesepe ◽

Vincenzo Leuzzi ◽

Francesco Pisani

Keyword(s):

Movement Disorders ◽

Time Course ◽

Neonatal Period ◽

Age Of Onset ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Neonatal Seizure ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Epileptic Encephalopathies ◽

Pathogenic Variants ◽

Neonatal Onset

Despite expanding next generation sequencing technologies and increasing clinical interest into complex neurologic phenotypes associating epilepsies and developmental/epileptic encephalopathies (DE/EE) with movement disorders (MD), these monogenic conditions have been less extensively investigated in the neonatal period compared to infancy. We reviewed the medical literature in the study period 2000–2020 to report on monogenic conditions characterized by neonatal onset epilepsy and/or DE/EE and development of an MD, and described their electroclinical, genetic and neuroimaging spectra. In accordance with a PRISMA statement, we created a data collection sheet and a protocol specifying inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 28 different genes (from 49 papers) leading to neonatal-onset DE/EE with multiple seizure types, mainly featuring tonic and myoclonic, but also focal motor seizures and a hyperkinetic MD in 89% of conditions, with neonatal onset in 22%, were identified. Neonatal seizure semiology, or MD age of onset, were not always available. The rate of hypokinetic MD was low, and was described from the neonatal period only, with WW domain containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) pathogenic variants. The outcome is characterized by high rates of associated neurodevelopmental disorders and microcephaly. Brain MRI findings are either normal or nonspecific in most conditions, but serial imaging can be necessary in order to detect progressive abnormalities. We found high genetic heterogeneity and low numbers of described patients. Neurological phenotypes are complex, reflecting the involvement of genes necessary for early brain development. Future studies should focus on accurate neonatal epileptic phenotyping, and detailed description of semiology and time-course, of the associated MD, especially for the rarest conditions.

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Delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy: Case report

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.1654 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. s839-s839 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Solerdelcoll Arimany ◽

M. Garriga ◽

E. Parellada

Keyword(s):

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Clinical History ◽

Good Prognosis ◽

Mri Findings ◽

The Mean ◽

Competing Interest ◽

Weighted Sequences ◽

Direct Toxicity ◽

Progressive Cognitive Impairment

IntroductionDelayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy (DPHL) is an underrecognized syndrome of delayed demyelination, where patients manifest neuropsychiatric symptoms after a period of 2–40 days of apparent recovery from a cerebral hypo-oxygenation episode.ObjectivesWe report a case of a patient who successfully recovered from an overdose of heroin, but then suffered a delayed abrupt neurological deterioration.AimsTo improve assessment and recognition of DPHL.MethodsAn adequate retrospective collection of clinical data and nonsystematic review of the literature was performed.ResultsA 43-year-old male with schizoaffective disorder who attempted suicide with an overdose of heroin, was successfully revived and return to his previously mental status, but 3 weeks after, he abruptly developed progressive cognitive impairment with akinetic mutism and ataxia. He was admitted to our acute psychiatric unit after brain CT and chemistry analyses were unremarkable. Brain MRI showed diffusely symmetric hyperintensity in the white matter (WM), pronominally the periventricular WM, on FLAIR and T2 weighted sequences. At 16 weeks postoverdose, he presented improvement both cognitive and motor symptoms, lasting deficits in frontal-executive functions.DiscussionDPHL is characterized by similar clinical and neuroimaging features regardless of the initial insult. The mean lucid interval coincides with the replacement half-life for myelin related lipids and proteins. Prolonged mild-to-moderate hypo-oxygenation of WM is thought to disrupt myelin turnover. It appears probable that these were responsible for DPHL in our patient rather than a direct toxicity.ConclusionDPHL can be diagnosed when clinical history, laboratory assessments and MRI findings are concordant. DPHL requires extensive support care and carries a relatively good prognosis.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Postoperative cerebral air embolism with delayed abnormal brain MRI findings

eNeurologicalSci ◽

10.1016/j.ensci.2020.100305 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

pp. 100305

Author(s):

Yuwa Oka ◽

Koji Tsuzaki ◽

Mayu Kamei ◽

Akihiro Kikuya ◽

Toshiaki Hamano

Keyword(s):

Brain Mri ◽

Air Embolism ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Cerebral Air Embolism ◽

Abnormal Brain

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Correlation of PET/CT and Brain MRI Findings in Human African Trypanosomiasis Encephalitis

Clinical Nuclear Medicine ◽

10.1097/rlu.0000000000003801 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽

Author(s):

Licia Pacheco Luna ◽

Zahra Meleki ◽

Amirali Modir Shanechi ◽

Vivek Yedavalli ◽

Ali Cahid Civelek

Keyword(s):

Human African Trypanosomiasis ◽

Brain Mri ◽

African Trypanosomiasis ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Pet Ct

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Medical Care at California Wildfire Incident Base Camps

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2021.321 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Howard D. Backer ◽

Charles Wright ◽

Jialin Dong ◽

Nathaniel Baba ◽

Honda McFadden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wildland Fire ◽

Medical Problem ◽

Constant Factor ◽

Personal Health Information ◽

Fire Season ◽

Medical Needs ◽

Medical Visits ◽

Base Camp ◽

Clinical Conditions ◽

Poison Oak

Abstract Objective: The California Emergency Medical Services Authority manages and deploys California Medical Assistance Teams (CAL-MAT) to disaster medical incidents in the state. This analysis reviews diagnoses for ambulatory medical visits at multiple wildland fire incident base camp field sites in California during the 2020 fire season. Methods: Clinical data without personal health information were extracted retrospectively from patient care records from all patients seen by a provider. Results were entered into Excel spreadsheets with calculation of summary statistics. Results: During the 2020 fire season, CAL-MAT teams deployed 21 times for a total of 327 days to base camps supporting large fire incidents and cared for 1756 patients. Impacts of heat and environmental smoke are a constant factor near wildfires; however, our most common medical problem was rhus dermatitis (54.5%) due to poison oak. All 2020 medical missions were further complicated by prevention and management of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Conclusions: There is very little literature regarding the acute medical needs facing responders fighting wildland fires. Ninety-five percent of clinical conditions presenting to a field medical team at the wildfire incident base camp during a severe fire season in California can be managed by small teams operating in field tents.

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Superficial siderosis: Case report and literature review

Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo ◽

10.2298/sarh1304219k ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 141 (3-4) ◽

pp. 219-222

Author(s):

Nikola Kresojevic ◽

Igor Petrovic ◽

Natasa DragasevicMiskovic ◽

Vladimir Kostic

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Mr Imaging ◽

Brain Mri ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Superficial Siderosis ◽

Mri Findings ◽

Hand Tremor ◽

Hemosiderin Deposition ◽

Clinical Triad

Introduction. Superficial siderosis (SS) is caused by chronic subarachnoid bleeding and is characterized by free iron and hemosiderin deposition along the pial and subpial structures of central nervous system. SS leads to progressive and irreversible CNS damage. The most common causes of chronic subarachnoidal bleeding are tumors, head and spinal cord trauma, arteriovenous malformations and aneurysms. SS is characterized by clinical triad: sensorineural hearing loss, cerebellar ataxia and piramydal signs. Brain MR imaging is the investigation of choice for the diagnosis of SS. Typical findings include hypointensities seen on T2?weighted MR imaging around the brain, cerebellum, brain stem, spinal cord, VIII cranial nerve and atrophy of cerebellum and medulla. Case Outline. A 71-year?old female patient noticed hand tremor in the middle of the third decade of life, and later slowly progressive bilateral hearing loss. At the age of 64 she developed un? steady gate, hand clumsiness and dysarthria, to became incapable of independent walking and standing five years later. Clinical course and brain MRI findings were typical for SS, but additional investigation did not reveal the couse of subarahnoidal bleeding. Conclusion. SS represents a rare and under?recognized condition that must be considered in all patients with cerebellar syndrome of unknown cause. Early diagnosis of SS in some cases with identified cause of chronic bleeding allowes therapeutic interventions that may prevent further progression of the disease.

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