Cerebral MRI abnormalities in a premature infant with later confirmed congenital central hypoventilation syndrome.
We present a premature infant with an inability to ventilate spontaneously during sleep periods. In addition, the patient showed general hypotonia. The child had a delayed passage of stool and increased anal muscle tone, indicating Hirschsprung's disease. The combination of these symptoms suggested congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, which was confirmed postmortem by DNA analysis showing a mutation in the PHOX2B gene. MRI of the brain showed damage to the white matter, including the internal capsula. This type of damage to the white matter has not been described before in a premature infant, who did not experience birth asphyxia.
van Delft
Eveline
E
Department of Neonatology, Máxima Medical Centre, PO Box 7777, 5500 MB, Veldhoven, The Netherlands.
Andriessen
Peter
P
Vaessens
Colleen N A L
CN
Buijs
Jan
J
Bambang Oetomo
Sidarto
S
D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020182:Sleep Apnea, Central / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology*