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      Chiari 1 Malformation in a Child with Febrile Seizures, Parasomnias, and Sleep Apnea Syndrome

      case-report

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          Abstract

          Introduction

          The type I is the most common Chiari malformation in children. In this condition, the lower part of the cerebellum, but not the brain stem, extends into the foramen magnum at the base of the skull leading to disturbances in cerebrospinal fluid circulation and to direct compression of nervous tissue.

          Case report

          We describe a 4-year-old Caucasian female child with febrile seizures, headache, parasomnias, and a delay of speech. The child underwent a magnetic resonance imaging to investigate these neurological signs, disclosing a Chiari malformation type 1. The polysomnography showed a mild-moderate sleep-disordered breathing, increased number of central sleep apneas, and generalized spike waves at sleep onset.

          Conclusions

          Seizures have been seldom described in CM1 patients. The main reasons for performing MRI in this case were frequent seizures, a delay of speech, and headache, leading to an unexpected diagnosis of CM1. Polysomnography detected a discrete SDB.

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          Most cited references23

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          Pediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ): validity and reliability of scales for sleep-disordered breathing, snoring, sleepiness, and behavioral problems.

          Objective: To develop and validate questionnaire scales that can be used in research to investigate the presence of childhood SRBDs and prominent symptom complexes, including snoring, daytime sleepiness, and related behavioral disturbances.Background: Obstructive sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) are common but usually undiagnosed among children. Methods to help identify SRBDs without the expense of polysomnography could greatly facilitate clinical and epidemiological research.Methods: Subjects were children aged 2-18 years who had polysomnographically-confirmed SRBDs (n=54) or appointments at either of two general pediatrics clinics (n=108). Parents completed a Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire which contained items under consideration for inclusion in desired scales.Results: Item reduction, based on data from a randomly selected 50% of the subjects (group A), produced a 22-item SRBD score that was strongly associated with diagnosis of an SRBD (P<0.0001) in a logistic regression model that accounted for age and gender. Diagnosis was also strongly associated with subscores for snoring (four items, P<0.0001), sleepiness (four items, P=0.0003), and behavior (six items, P<0.0001) among group A subjects. The scales performed similarly well among group B subjects, and among subjects of different ages and gender. In group A and B subjects, respectively, a selected criterion SRBD score produced a sensitivity of 0.85 and 0.81; a specificity of 0.87 and 0.87; and a correct classification for 86 and 85% of subjects. The scales showed good internal consistency and, in a separate sample (n=21), good test-retest stability.Conclusions: These scales for childhood SRBDs, snoring, sleepiness, and behavior are valid and reliable instruments that can be used to identify SRBDs or associated symptom-constructs in clinical research when polysomnography is not feasible.
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            Chiari I malformation redefined: clinical and radiographic findings for 364 symptomatic patients.

            Chiari malformations are regarded as a pathological continuum of hindbrain maldevelopments characterized by downward herniation of the cerebellar tonsils. The Chiari I malformation (CMI) is defined as tonsillar herniation of at least 3 to 5 mm below the foramen magnum. Increased detection of CMI has emphasized the need for more information regarding the clinical features of the disorder. We examined a prospective cohort of 364 symptomatic patients. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the head and spine, and some were evaluated using CINE-magnetic resonance imaging and other neurodiagnostic tests. For 50 patients and 50 age- and gender-matched control subjects, the volume of the posterior cranial fossa was calculated by the Cavalieri method. The families of 21 patients participated in a study of familial aggregation. There were 275 female and 89 male patients. The age of onset was 24.9+/-15.8 years (mean +/- standard deviation), and 89 patients (24%) cited trauma as the precipitating event. Common associated problems included syringomyelia (65%), scoliosis (42%), and basilar invagination (12%). Forty-three patients (12%) reported positive family histories of CMI or syringomyelia. Pedigrees for 21 families showed patterns consistent with autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance. The clinical syndrome of CMI was found to consist of the following: 1) headaches, 2) pseudotumor-like episodes, 3) a Meniere's disease-like syndrome, 4) lower cranial nerve signs, and 5) spinal cord disturbances in the absence of syringomyelia. The most consistent magnetic resonance imaging findings were obliteration of the retrocerebellar cerebrospinal fluid spaces (364 patients), tonsillar herniation of at least 5 mm (332 patients), and varying degrees of cranial base dysplasia. Volumetric calculations for the posterior cranial fossa revealed a significant reduction of total volume (mean, 13.4 ml) and a 40% reduction of cerebrospinal fluid volume (mean, 10.8 ml), with normal brain volume. These data support accumulating evidence that CMI is a disorder of the para-axial mesoderm that is characterized by underdevelopment of the posterior cranial fossa and overcrowding of the normally developed hindbrain. Tonsillar herniation of less than 5 mm does not exclude the diagnosis. Clinical manifestations of CMI seem to be related to cerebrospinal fluid disturbances (which are responsible for headaches, pseudotumor-like episodes, endolymphatic hydrops, syringomyelia, and hydrocephalus) and direct compression of nervous tissue. The demonstration of familial aggregation suggests a genetic component of transmission.
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              Chiari type I malformation in a pediatric population.

              The natural history of Chiari I malformation in children remains unclear. A population-based retrospective cohort study was therefore conducted. Radiology reports from all head and spine magnetic resonance imaging scans (n = 5248) performed among 741,815 children under age 20 within Kaiser Northern California, 1997-1998, were searched for Chiari I. Medical records and imaging studies were reviewed to determine clinical and radiographic predictors of significant neurologic symptoms, defined as moderate to severe headache, neck pain, vertigo, or ataxia. The 51 patients identified with Chiari I represented 1% of the children who had head or spine magnetic resonance imaging scans performed during the study period. Headache (55%) and neck pain (12%) were the most common symptoms. Syringomyelia was present in 6 patients (12%) at initial diagnosis; no new syrinxes developed during follow-up. Older age at time of diagnosis was associated with increased risk of headache (odds ratio OR = 1.3, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.1-1.5) and significant neurologic symptoms (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.04-1.4). Chiari I, an underrecognized cause of headaches in children, is also frequently discovered incidentally in children without symptoms. Larger and longer-term studies are needed to determine the prognosis and optimal treatment of pediatric Chiari I.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                Case Rep Pediatr
                Case Rep Pediatr
                CRIPE
                Case Reports in Pediatrics
                Hindawi
                2090-6803
                2090-6811
                2017
                17 December 2017
                : 2017
                : 8189790
                Affiliations
                1Pediatric Division, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
                2Child Neuropsychiatry, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
                3Neurosurgery Section, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine, and Movement Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
                Author notes

                Academic Editor: Albert M. Li

                Author information
                http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8659-5505
                Article
                10.1155/2017/8189790
                5748138
                9183a6c8-91d2-432e-84a2-269306002d86
                Copyright © 2017 Marco Zaffanello et al.

                This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 27 July 2017
                : 15 October 2017
                : 30 October 2017
                Categories
                Case Report

                Pediatrics
                Pediatrics

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