PP05.1 – 2324: Thick corpus callosum in children

Abstract

Objective A thick corpus callosum (CC) may easily be overlooked during the interpretation of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. While in fetuses it is considered as being associated with very grave outcome, its precise relevance and clinical manifestations in children are undefined. Methods We collected and reviewed cases of children who were identified by an experienced radiologist as having a thick CC on their brain MRI studies The CCs were measured and the pertinent clinical data of each child were collected for comparative evaluation. Results Out of 2552 brain MRIs, those of 34 children (1.3%) revealed a thick CC by revised neuroradiologists' evaluations. The clinical diagnoses of these children were: neurofibromatosis type I in 13, epilepsy of any type in 9, macrocephaly capillary malformation in 3, autistic spectrum disorder in 3 and one each of precocious puberty and growth-hormone deficiency, hyporeflexia, positive Romberg sign, sensory disturbances, suspected Joubert syndrome, borderline Chiari-1 malformation and increased head circumference. The different measurements and their relationship to previously reported data will be presented. Conclusion A thick CC is a relatively rare abnormality that can be found in neuropathologies with apparently diverse pathognomonic mechanisms, none of which are clearly life-threatening conditions. It is easily measureable, thus, when morphologic changes are suspected, measurements can be easily applied to confirm the observational evaluation. We suggest that in specific situations. the evaluation of CC size only by observation may not suffice.