Magnetic resonance imaging of hypothalamic hamartomas causing gelastic epilepsy.
Hypothalamic hamartomas may cause a peculiar epileptic syndrome characterized by seizures of laughter and precocious puberty. Four mentally handicapped patients suffering from gelastic epilepsy were referred to our institution for investigation; three of them also presented with precocious puberty. In all four cases magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a space-occupying lesion of the hypothalamus that was considered to be a hamartoma. Biopsies were not performed. Hamartomas appear isodense in plain computed tomography scans, and they do not enhance. Such lesions display an isointense signal in T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and a hyperintense signal in proton density and T2-weighted images. MRI is the procedure of choice for detecting such lesions at the base of the brain.
Department of Neuroradiology, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
A F
AF
Marliani
D
D
Tampieri
D
D
Melançon
R
R
Ethier
S F
SF
Berkovic
F
F
Andermann
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology*; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007029:Hypothalamic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed