The Etiology and Outcome of Area Postrema Syndrome in Childhood: Two Cases and a Literature Review

Abstract

BackgroundArea postrema syndrome (APS), a rare childhood condition, manifests as intractable nausea and hiccups. APS has high diagnostic significance in neuromyelitis optica syndrome spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and can be the initial presentation of other critical diseases, including brainstem glioma. MethodsWe described two representative cases of unrelated Japanese patients with APS. An etiologic evaluation, including a detailed intracranial neuroradiological examination and autoantibodies assessment, was performed. We also reviewed the literature focusing on the prognosis of pediatric APS symptoms. ResultsA 14-year-old girl with aquaporin-4 antibody-positive NMOSD showed a good prognosis with immunotherapy, whereas another nine-year-old girl with irresectable medullary low-grade glioma had persistent symptoms for more than 10 years. All reported children aged >12 years were diagnosed with NMOSD, and patients aged <13 years showed heterogeneous etiologies. ConclusionsDistinctive time courses and neuroimaging features were key clinical findings for the diagnostic and therapeutic processes in these patients. This literature review highlights the wide spectrum and prognosis of pediatric-onset APS.