title: Basal ganglion hamartoma in a patient presenting with precocious puberty.
abstract: We report a basal ganglion hamartoma in a 10-year-old boy in whom the major clinical feature was precocious puberty. Endocrinological evaluation showed a gonadotropin reaction to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone with no elevation of the human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit level in the serum or cerebrospinal fluid. Neuroimaging studies showed a small, calcified, nonenhanced mass lesion with some cystic components in the right basal ganglion. Histopathological examination of specimens removed by stereotactic needle biopsy revealed disorganized neuronal and glial elements in the calcified gray matter-like lesion. In addition, although the presence of microcalcifications was not conspicuous, similar neuroglial lesions of various sizes were scattered in the surrounding white matter. Immunostaining for Ki-67 antigen (MIB-1) showed very low proliferative potential of the glial cells in all the lesions. To our knowledge, this is the first reported occurrence of an intracranial hamartoma located in a site other than the hypothalamus and causing precocious puberty. The possible mechanisms underlying the development of precocious puberty in this patient are discussed.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi, Niigata 951-8585, Japan. genkai4926@yahoo.co.jp
authors: Nobuyuki
authors: N
authors: Genkai
authors: Itaru
authors: I
authors: Tsumanuma
authors: Hideaki
authors: H
authors: Takahashi
authors: Takeo
authors: T
authors: Uzuka
authors: Yue-Shan
authors: YS
authors: Piao
authors: Hitoshi
authors: H
authors: Takahashi
authors: Ryuichi
authors: R
authors: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed