Current Issues of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences

Annales UMCS, Sectio DDD, Pharmacia, Vol. XXIV, N 3, 6

ANNA JAMROZ-WIŚNIEWSKA¹, MAŁGORZATA KULKA¹, EWA BELNIAK¹,
MARZENA JANCZAREK², ZBIGNIEW STELMASIAK^1, HALINA BARTOSIK-PSUJEK¹

¹ Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland

² Department of Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland

Abstract

Tectal plate tumors are a subgroup of brain stem tumors uncommon among adults. We describe a case of tectal plate tumor in a young adult of atypical appearance. As 14-year-old girl the patient had a ventricular-peritoneal shunt placed because of symptoms of increased intracranial pressure and hydrocephalus of unknown etiology. At the age of 19 recurrent episodes of complex partial seizures (including cluster seizures) appeared and therapy with valproic acid was introduced. The seizures ceased, however rapidly progressing cognitive impairment and psycho-motor slowness were observed. In neurological examination bradyphrenia and bradykinesia and the Parinaud syndrome were present. MRI of the brain showed a tumor of the tectal plate without active hydrocephalus. In MR spectroscopy the morphologic picture was suggestive of tectal glioma of low-grade malignancy. Steroid-tapering therapy was applied and the patient’s state improved. After 3 years of observation, the patient’s state is stable, with no abnormalities in neurological examination.

Keywords

tectal plate tumors, brain stem tumors, the Parinaud syndrome, seizures