title: 'Fou rire prodromique' as the heralding symptom of lenticular infarction, caused by dissection of the internal carotid artery in a 12-year-old boy.
abstract: A 12-year-old, right-handed boy experienced a pathological fit of laughter before a sudden right hemiplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a left basal ganglia infarction, induced by a left internal carotid dissection. Arteriography revealed an underlying fibromuscular dysplasia. This case study demonstrates that cerebral artery dissection can occur in children and that a basal ganglia infarction may be preceded by pathological laughter called 'fou rire prodromique'. The clinical and anatomical relationship of this paroxysmal event are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Osseby
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manceau
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chouchane
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giroud
mesh_terms: D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography