Tumore neuroepiteliale disembrioplastico

Abstract

Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs) are mainly benign cortical lesions composed of glial and neuronal elements. DNTs accounted for 0.6–07% of pediatric brain tumors.

Clinically these tumors are usually associated with chronic epilepsy in adolescents and adults.

We report a case of six-year-old boy who presented drug-resistant complex partial seizures whit neurological and intellectual integrity, but a mild attention deficit.

MRI disclosed a subcortical lesion, located on the left the temporal lobe. The pathological tissue was hyperintense on both T1 and T2-weighted images; CT showed very well intratumoral calcifications. These neuroradiological findings suggested a differential diagnosis with extraventricular neurocytoma and ganglioglioma.

The child underwent surgery; the histological examination diagnosed a complex DNT (1^st grade of WHO classification). At follow-up after 6 months, he was seizure-free; the neurological examination was normal.

Keywords

dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors epilepsy MRI

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Argyropoulou

Arvanitis

: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour and cerebellar atrophy: Case report. Neuroradiology 43: 73–75, 2001.

Ostertun

Wolf

: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors: MR and CT evaluation. Am J Neuroradiol 17: 419–430, 1996.

Rickert

Paulus

: Epidemiology of central nervous system tumors in childood and adolescence based on the new WHO classification. Child's Nerv Syst 17: 503–511, 2001.

Cosson

Stanescu R

Varlet

: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors: CT, MR findings and imaging follow-up: A study of 53 cases. J Neuroradiol 28: 230–240, 2001.

Tortori-Donati

Fondelli

: Extraventricular neurocytoma with ganglionic differentiation associated with complex partial seizures. Am J Neuroradiol 20: 724–727, 1999.