Agenesis of the arcuate fasciculi in congenital bilateral perisylvian syndrome: a diffusion tensor imaging and tractography study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the absence of the arcuate fasciculi in 2 cases of congenital bilateral perisylvian syndrome (CBPS).


METHODS
Case series.


METHODS
Pediatric referral hospital-based study.


METHODS
Two patients with CBPS, referred to our institution as candidates for surgical treatment of epilepsy. Intervention Diffusion tensor imaging (1.5-T scanner; 15 encoding directions; b = 800 s/mm(2)) and deterministic tractography of the main projection and association tracts.


METHODS
Neuropsychology evaluation; fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficients, and anatomical aspect of the tracts.


RESULTS
Absence of the arcuate fasciculus was observed in both subjects. Ancillary findings were complete absence of the superior longitudinal fasciculi in 1 case and underdevelopment in the other. Low fractional anisotropy of the left inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus was found in both cases. The same tract was maloriented in 1 of the cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Agenesis of the arcuate fasciculus may accompany CBPS.
Bernal
Byron
B
Miami Children's Hospital and MCH Brain Institute, Miami, Florida, USA. byron.bernal@mch.com
Rey
Gustavo
G
Dunoyer
Catalina
C
Shanbhag
Harshad
H
Altman
Nolan
N
D000293:Adolescent; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054220:Malformations of Cortical Development / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000503:physiopathology; D009421:Nervous System Malformations / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000503:physiopathology