Clinico-radiological approach to cerebral hemiatrophy

Parry Romberg syndrome: A case report

Parry Romberg syndrome (PRS) is a rare self-limiting disease, typically occurring in children and young adults, that causes slow progressive atrophy of one-half of the face. It primarily affects the subcutaneous tissue and skin with some cases exhibiting deeper extension to glandular, osseous and muscular structures. Neurologic and ocular involvement is variable. Neuroimaging with computed tomography (CT) scan aids in demonstrating radiological features, assessing disease severity, and detecting neurological and ocular complications. We present a severe case of PRS in a 25-year-old female with right-sided facial asymmetry, diagnosed based on medical history, clinical examination and head CT scan findings.

Evaluation of the contralateral hemisphere with DWI in pediatric patients with Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome

INTRODUCTION

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome (DDMS) is a clinical syndrome that causes different clinical symptoms and is defined by volume decrement in one cerebral hemisphere. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the involvement of the normal-appearing contralateral hemisphere in 16 pediatric patients with DDMS using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Brain MRIs were retrospectively reviewed between January 2014 and January 2023. Sixteen pediatric patients radiologically compatible with DDMS were included in the study. Sixteen children who had undergone brain MRI, most commonly for headaches and whose MRI findings had been completely normal, were included as the control group. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the deep gray and white matter of the normal-appearing hemisphere in the patient group were calculated and compared with that of the control group.

RESULTS

The ADC values of the gray and white matters of the patient and control groups were not statistically different. However, in the patient group, the ADC values of the gray and white matters in males were remarkably lower than in females (p = 0.038, p = 0.037, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The difference in the ADC values of the contralateral hemisphere between females and males in the patient group suggests that the normal-appearing hemisphere may have been affected by DDMS. Although, the exact mechanism of this effect is not known. Therefore, in patients with DDMS, contralateral hemisphere involvement in cerebral hemiatrophy and hemispherectomy should be evaluated clinically and radiologically.

Extent of Leptomeningeal Capillary Malformation is Associated With Severity of Epilepsy in Sturge-Weber Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Individuals with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) often expereince intractable epilepsy and cognitive decline. We hypothesized that the extent of the leptomeningeal capillary malformation (LCM) may correlate with the severity of neurological impairment due to SWS. We tested the hypothesis in a cross-sectional study of seizure severity and electroencephalographic (EEG) findings and a retrospective cohort study for surgical indications related to the extent of the LCM.

METHODS

We enrolled 112 patients and classified them according to LCM distribution: (1) bilateral, (2) hemispheric, (3) multilobar, and (4) single lobe. Age at seizure onset, seizure semiology and frequency, and EEG findings were compared. Surgical indications were evaluated for each group by Fisher exact test, and predictors for surgery were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by the SWS-Neurological Score (SWS-NS).

RESULTS

The bilateral and hemispheric groups had early seizure onset (4.0 months old and 3.0 months old), frequent seizures (88.9% and 80.6% had more than one per month), focal-to-bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (88.9% and 74.2%), and status epilepticus (100% and 87.1%). The groups' EEG findings did not differ substantially. Surgical indications were present in 77.8% of the bilateral, 88.1% of the hemispheric, and 46.8% of the multilobar groups. Seizure more than once per month was a predictor of surgical treatment. Seizure subscore improved postoperatively in the hemispheric and multilobar groups. Even after surgical treatment, the bilateral and hemispheric groups exhibited higher SWS-NSs than members of the other groups.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated a strong association between extensive LCM and epilepsy severity. Surgical intervention improved seizure outcome in patients with SWS with large LCMs.

Parry Romberg syndrome: Imaging features in 4 consecutive cases and review of literature

Parry Romberg syndrome (PRS) is a distinct sporadic self-limiting entity comprising progressive hemi- atrophy of the face with predisposition to affect the skin, subcutaneous tissue and in some cases deeper extension to the cartilage, osseous structures and musculature (Wong et al., 2015; Aydın et al., 2015; Sharma et al., 2012) [1-3]. Neurologic and ocular involvement is variable as is the progression of this entity. With a multitude of aetiologies ranging from autoimmune to infectious this syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion, with a highly variable prognosis, drawing the amusement of radiologists and clinicians. Radiological assessment and subsequent diagnosis of this entity can aid in alleviating the lifestyle hampering progression of this disease process. We hereby report 4 cases of this syndrome and aim to describe the varied radiological presentations of this entity with concise review of literature.