title: [Symptomatic giant Virchow-Robin spaces].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perivascular spaces, known as Virchow-Robin spaces (VRS), may become massively enlarged but are usually an incidental finding. However, a few reports on patients with unusually large VRS have mentioned association with neurological symptoms. We report a series of three symptomatic patients with extremely wide Virchow-Robin spaces documented on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the medical records and brain MRI of three symptomatic patients, who had been diagnosed with VRS widening.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all three patients, the unusual widening of the VRS was located within the subcortical white matter with asymmetric distribution. Their neurological symptoms were epilepsy and neurological deficits which correlated well with the lesions seen on the MRI. Two patients had associated white matter hyperintensities: in the first case associated gliosis and in the second case, with vascular leukoencephalopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enlarged symptomatic VRS are rare. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain uncertain. We report three cases with symptomatic giant dilatation of the Virchow-Robin spaces.
authors.affiliation: Service de neurologie, pôle de neurosciences cliniques, CHU de Nice, hôpital Pasteur, 30, voie Romaine, 06002 Nice cedex 1, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gronier
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ayrignac
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lamy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Honnorat
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lebrun-Frenay
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labauge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D013346:Subarachnoid Space / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Dilatation des espaces de Virchow-Robin; Dilatation of Virchow-Robin spaces; Espaces périvasculaires de Virchow-Robin; Imagerie par résonance magnétique; Magnetic resonance imaging; Perivascular Virchow-Robin spaces