Classical oral manifestations of Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome: a case report with review of the literature

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome: Main clinical and radiological findings- systematic literature review

INTRODUCTION

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome (DDMS), or cerebral hemiatrophy, was first described in 1933. It is characterised by cerebral injury that causes hypoplasia in one of the cerebral hemispheres. The disease has different clinical degrees and two aetiologies: congenital and acquired. Radiological findings depend on the degree of injury and the patient's age at the time.

OBJECTIVE

To provide information on the main clinical and radiological characteristics of this disease.

METHODS

A systematic review of the PubMed, MEDLINE, and LILACS databases was conducted using only one keyword. Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome. A total of 223 studies were identified, and the results are presented in tables and graphics.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 19.44 (0-83 years), and the majority were male (55.32%). The most common types of epileptic seizures were generalised tonic-clonic seizures (31 cases), focal impaired awareness seizures (20 cases), focal motor seizures (13 cases), focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (nine cases), and focal myoclonic seizures (one case). The main features of the disease were rapid deep tendon reflexes and extensor cutaneous-plantar tendon reflexes (30 cases - 16%), contralateral hemiparesis or hemiplegia (132 cases - 70%), gait alterations (16 cases - 9%), facial paralysis (nine cases - 5%), facial asymmetry (58 cases - 31%), limb asymmetry (20 cases - 11%), delayed developmental milestones (39 cases - 21%), intellectual disability (87 cases - 46%), and language/speech disorders (29 cases - 15%). Left hemisphere atrophy was the most prevalent.

CONCLUSION

DDMS is a rare syndrome, and several questions regarding this disease remain unanswered. This systematic review aims to elucidate the most common clinical and radiological aspects of the disease and emphasises the need for further investigation.

Prevalence and risk factors of brain atrophy and associated confusion state among adults from three hospitals in northern Tanzania

Introduction

brain atrophy is the reduction of brain volume often accompanied with cognitive changes. Despite the availability of computerized-tomography (CT) scanners in Tanzania, little is known about the magnitude of brain atrophy, its associated confusion state and the risk factors in adults. This study aimed to fill those knowledge gaps.

Methods

a retrospective cross-sectional hospital-based survey was conducted in northern Tanzania using a sample size of 384 CT images of adults who underwent brain CT scans in three referral hospitals. CT images were evaluated using a diagonal brain fraction (DBF) method to determine the presence of brain atrophy. Data for other covariates were also collected.

Results

we report a prevalence of 60.67% for brain atrophy and 35% for the associated confusion state. Association between confusion state and brain atrophy was statistically significant (χ² = 21.954, p<0.001). Brain atrophy was prognosticated by: age (adjusted OR: 1.11; 95% CI [1.05, 1.20], p<0.001), smoking (adjusted OR: 6.97; 95% CI [2.12, 26.19], p<0.001), alcohol-consumption (adjusted OR: 11.87; 95% CI [3.44, 40.81], p<0.001), hypertension (adjusted OR: 61.21; 95 CI [15.20, 349.43], p<0.001), type-2 diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR: 15.67; 95% CI [5.32, 52.77], p<0.001) and white matter demyelination (adjusted OR: 13.45; 95% CI [4.66, 44.25], p<0.001).

Conclusion

there is high prevalence of brain atrophy and associated confusion state among hospitalized adults in northern Tanzania. Reported prognostic factors for brain atrophy such as age, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, type-2 diabetes mellitus and white matter demyelination could help focus interventions in this area.

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome: A Case Report

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome (DDMS) is a rare neurological entity that is predominantly seen in childhood. Here, we present the case of a 13-year-old girl who was brought to the pediatric ward for general examination with a previous history of seizures, speech difficulty, facial deviation, and progressive left-sided hemiparesis that started at the age of two, followed by delayed developmental milestones. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed right cerebral hemiatrophy, ventriculomegaly, hyperpneumatization of the sinus, the decreased caliber of cortical veins, and skull thickening on the right were all characteristic findings of DDMS. Based on the history, clinical presentation, and imaging findings from CT and MRI, DDMS was confirmed. Identifying DDMS in a clinical setting can be challenging because of low awareness of the condition and varied clinical presentations. Although CT and MRI imaging are the gold standards in diagnosing DDMS, the early manifestations of the disease cannot be well-appreciated on a CT and would likely require an MRI. Since there is no standardized protocol for managing DDMS, the treatment is primarily symptomatic. Early identification and diagnosis of the syndrome are essential to aid the child's mental and physical development through a multidisciplinary approach. There is also a need to improve awareness of DDMS so that the condition can be considered a potential differential diagnosis amongst other similar conditions and does not get misdiagnosed. The lack of a proper protocol for the management of DDMS prompts more research for a better understanding and early identification of the condition.

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome: A Classic Case Report

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome (DDMS) is a rare neurological disorder found in children as well as adults. It is characterized by hemi cerebral atrophy. To date, very few cases of this disorder have been reported. Radiological imaging including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are accurate tools for the diagnosis of DDMS. We present a case of a 13-year-old female child who came with complaints of multiple episodes of generalized tonic-clonic seizures. In our case, clinical history and imaging with CT and MRI were accurate enough to diagnose DDMS.

Clinical characteristics and neuroimaging findings of seven patients with Dyke Davidoff Masson syndrome

Background

DDMS is a rare disease diagnosed by clinical and radiological characteristics. But the complexity of radiological and clinical manifestations of DDMS has become a challenge diagnostically. To date, the reported cases with DDMS had highly varied clinical manifestations including seizures, contralateral hemiplegia/hemiparesis, facial asymmetry, mental retardation, etc. In addition to typical clinical findings, some new characteristics have been recently added to the spectrum of DDMS. However, few cases have been reported to be associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms according to the literature. This study aimed to investigate the neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome (DDMS) and related imaging findings.

Methods

This study included 7 patients diagnosed with DDMS between 2014 and 2020. The clinical characteristics, neuropsychiatric manifestations, and radiological results were retrospectively evaluated.

Results

Seven patients (five males and two females) with a mean age of 28.0 ± 9.73 (range 15.0–41.0) years were included. Five patients were admitted to the psychiatric unit due to psychological and behavioral disorders. Two patients were referred to the neurology unit mainly due to epilepsy. Six patients had epileptic seizures, 4 had hemiplegia, 3 had mental retardation, 2 patients had external ear deformities, and 2 had facial asymmetry. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were presented in 6 (85.7 %) cases. Cases 2–6 developed affective disorders. Deficits in verbal communication, impairment of social interaction, lack of insight, adulia and hypobulia appeared in cases 1–4. Schizophrenia with apathy, and epileptic schizoid psychosis were observed in cases 4 and 5 respectively. Case 6 had behavioral disorders, hyperactivity, tic disorder, mental retardation, anxiety, catatonic symptoms and suicidal tendency. Case 7 had seizures and mental retardation, and no psychiatric symptoms were presented. Radiological examinations showed unilateral cerebral atrophy, enlarged lateral ventricles, and various compensatory hypertrophy of the skull in all cases. The midline structure has shifted to the affected side in 5(71.4 %) cases. Atrophy of the basal ganglia or brain stem was observed in 4(57.1 %) cases.

Conclusions

The hallmark imaging manifestations of DDMS facilitated the diagnosis in most cases. This study illustrated that a variety of psychoneurotic disorders and ear abnormalities were correlated with DDMS.

Case Report and Literature Review: COVID-19 and status epilepticus in Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome (DMMS) is a non-inherited rare condition with a clinical constellation of hemiparesis/hemiplegia, facial asymmetry, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. The radiological features can be including unilateral cerebral atrophy, calvarial thickening, and hyper pneumatization of the paranasal sinuses. The condition can either be congenital or acquired. The presentation usually occurs during childhood or early adolescents, but there have been adult cases reported. Here we report a 48-year-old male who was a known poorly controlled epileptic that contracted SARS-CoV-2 with subsequently developed status epilepticus and, when worked up, was shown to have features of DDMS. This case is unique as the patient had hemiatrophy and epilepsy but managed to lead a normal, physically demanding, and high functioning academic career and presented late in life. Perhaps only due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was this diagnosis picked up. This report contains a case presenting atypical DDMS in status epilepticus and COVID -19 plus other complications. From our knowledge, this is the first case presenting these comorbidities reported to the medical literature.