Congenital malformations of the central nervous system at Al-Mansour pediatric teaching hospital, Baghdad, Iraq

To analyze the pattern of congenital malformations of the central nervous system seen in Al-Mansour Pediatric Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq between 2000 and 2002. Seventy patients from two groups were followed. The first consisted of newborn babies admitted to the neonatal care unit of our hospital which is attached to the obstetric department of Medical City Hospital; the second group included infants below six months of age referred to our hospital for evaluation of developmental delay. The patients were evaluated employing clinical and brain CT scan findings for diagnosis. Neural tube defect was the commonest anomaly of the CNS seen in newborn babies, while congenital hydrocephalus was most common in the group referred for evaluation later. Improvements in awareness of the need for proper diet during pregnancy and early referral of infants for definitive diagnosis and therapy are important goals in our region

Neurological manifestations of acute leukaemia in children

Neurologic manifestations of leukaemia are due to leukaemic infiltration of meninges, brain and cranial or peripheral nerves or result from intracranial hemorrhage and infection. This complication has been noted in 18 out of 176 patients with acute leukaemia whether they are newly diagnosed or previously diagnosed [i.e. on maintenance therapy] admitted to Al-Mansoor Pediatric teaching hospital from the first of Nov. 1992 to thirty-first of March 1993. The symptomatology of [CNS] involvement consist of vomiting headache, convulsions, cranial nerve palsy and non-specific neuro1ogica1 signs. It is more predominant in males than females; it may occur at any stage of the disease, as initial manifestation or during hematological remission or an active leukaemic phase. 3 of our patients presented as initial manifestation, 7 were in haematological remission. The spinal fluid demonstrated increased cell count, elevated protein concentration and decreased sugar level. The incidence, of CNS leukaemia is inversely correlated with platelets count at the time of initial diagnosis of leukaemia and directly related with total leucocytec count