title: Brainstem arteriovenous malformation presenting with dyspraxic handwriting in a young girl.
abstract: We report the case of a 11-year-old girl who developed an isolated hand-writing disorder with dysgraphia at the beginning of the school year in the sixth grade. A brain magnetic resonance angiography showed a round arteriovenous malformation sited in the left side of the midbrain extending to the ipsilateral medio-basal thalamus. Child neurologists should never neglect a thorough neurological evaluation in case of isolated worsening of handwriting, to rule out possible underlying organic causes.
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Medical School, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy. Electronic address: gcoppola@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Giangennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.affiliation: Unit of Neuroradiology, Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Medical School, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pironti
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Medical School, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Medical School, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.affiliation: Unit of Neuroradiology, Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Nilde
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Medical School, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Isone
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Medical School, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catone
mesh_terms: D000381:Agraphia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Arteriovenous malformation; Brainstem; Cerebellum; Peripheral dysgraphia; Thalamus; Writing disability