Chiari type I malformation (CM1) is characterised by different symptoms involving cerebellar, cerebral and spinal cord areas. Herein authors report a very uncommon CM1 in an obese child, who suddenly showed a weight gain as clinical presentation of this neurologic disease. Case presentation Since the patient was one-year-old, she had presented a progressive weight gain, with a body weight that maintained between the 90th and 97th percentile for age, but at the age of 6 years she showed a sudden and deep weight gain, associated with recurrent episodes of headache. At admission her weight and height were: 36.2 Kg (>97° pc) and 110 cm (25- 50° pc) respectively, (Body Mass Index = 29.9 kg/m2) with an increase of nearly 5 Kg, during the two months before the admission. Systolic blood pressure was elevated at 140 mmHg. For the recurrence of headache, cerebral magnetic resonance imaging was performed and it revealed a 10 mm herniation of the right cerebellar tonsil, and a 7 mm herniation of the left cerebellar tonsil, compatible with a diagnosis of CM-IConclusions. To our knowledge this is the first case of sudden weight gain as first clinical presentation of CM, even if this sign was associated with headache. This case suggests that a sudden variation of body weight, should be considered a possible sign of disease by pediatricians.
A sudden weight gain in a child as clinical presentation of Chiari Type I Malformation: a case report.
VITALITI G;
2012
Abstract
Chiari type I malformation (CM1) is characterised by different symptoms involving cerebellar, cerebral and spinal cord areas. Herein authors report a very uncommon CM1 in an obese child, who suddenly showed a weight gain as clinical presentation of this neurologic disease. Case presentation Since the patient was one-year-old, she had presented a progressive weight gain, with a body weight that maintained between the 90th and 97th percentile for age, but at the age of 6 years she showed a sudden and deep weight gain, associated with recurrent episodes of headache. At admission her weight and height were: 36.2 Kg (>97° pc) and 110 cm (25- 50° pc) respectively, (Body Mass Index = 29.9 kg/m2) with an increase of nearly 5 Kg, during the two months before the admission. Systolic blood pressure was elevated at 140 mmHg. For the recurrence of headache, cerebral magnetic resonance imaging was performed and it revealed a 10 mm herniation of the right cerebellar tonsil, and a 7 mm herniation of the left cerebellar tonsil, compatible with a diagnosis of CM-IConclusions. To our knowledge this is the first case of sudden weight gain as first clinical presentation of CM, even if this sign was associated with headache. This case suggests that a sudden variation of body weight, should be considered a possible sign of disease by pediatricians.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
