title: A neuropsychological outcome study of a child's left pericallosal arteriovenous malformation with occult fornix lesion.
abstract: Pericallosal arteriovenous malformations are rarely reported, particularly in children. Moreover, few arteriovenous malformation studies report thorough neuropsychological outcome data for assessing post-surgical functioning. This case report provides a longitudinal study of a boy who initially presented for neuropsychological testing at the age of 8 years and 1 month, following polyvinyl alcohol embolization, two craniotomies and resections and stereotactic radiosurgery for a pericallosal arteriovenous malformation involving nearly all of the corpus callosum. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging also indicated absence of the left fornix. Functioning has been assessed over 7 years. Neuropsychological measures identified a consistent pattern of verbally mediated cognitive and memory deficits, with relatively spared visual perceptual and visual motor functioning. No evidence of a split-brain syndrome was found. The findings are consistent with insult to dominant hemisphere language and memory systems, provide an interesting example of neurodevelopmental compensation for significant early brain insult, and may provide insight into functions subserved by the fornix.
authors.affiliation: McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Education and Clinical Center, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA. tdikel@hp.ufl.edu
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Dikel
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Fennell
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nadeau
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Quisling
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mickle
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020712:Fornix, Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012086:Reoperation; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology