ABSTRACT
Background: Cognitive decline in acromegaly has gained increasing attention. Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) as radiographic markers for microvascular injury have been linked to various types of cognitive decline. However, the association between CMB formation and acromegaly has not yet been quantified. This study is designed to investigate the prevalence and the radiographic patterns of CMBs and the association between cognitive function and acromegaly-related CMBs in growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenoma, which is characterized by acromegaly. Methods: In a cohort of 55 patients with GH-secreting pituitary adenoma (acromegaly) and 70 healthy control (HC) patients, we determined the presence of CMBs using a 3.0-T MRI scanner. The numbers, locations, and grades of CMBs were determined via susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and the Microbleed Anatomical Rating Scale. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was assessed using the criteria of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Scoring Manual Version 2.2. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess cognitive performance within 3 days of admission. The association between CMBs and cognitive function as well as clinical characteristics was explored. Results: The incidence of CMBs was 29.1%, whereas that of OSA was 65.5% in acromegaly. There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of CMBs between subjects with and without acromegaly (29.1% and 5.3%, respectively) (p < 0.01). The age of acromegaly patients with CMBs was much younger compared with HCs with CMBs. Compared with HCs, a significant cognitive decline and the occurrence of OSA were demonstrated in patients with acromegaly (p < 0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, education, and body mass index (BMI) revealed that CMB was an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment in patients with acromegaly (OR = 3.19, 95% CI 1.51-6.76, p = 0.002). Furthermore, in the logistic regression models adjusted for age, BMI, diabetes, and hypertension, OSA was independently associated with the occurrence of CMBs in patients with acromegaly (OR = 13.34, 95% CI 3.09-57.51, p = 0.001). Conclusions: A significant increase of CMBs was demonstrated in patients with acromegaly, which may be a result of OSA in acromegaly. The present study indicated that increasing CMBs are responsible for cognitive decline in patients with acromegaly.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Intramedullary ectopic choroid plexus is rarely reported, here, we reported a rare case of symptomatic syringomyelia resulted of intramedullary ectopic choroid plexus. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient was a 30-year-old female who presented with a 2-month history of progressive pain of upper back and bilateral ankle joint and progressive loss of upper-extremity function. MRI examination showed an intramedullary cystic lesion at T2-T4 without enhancement. Operative exploration was indicated. A reddish vascular villus-like lesion was found being located in the left dorsal part of the cyst, which was enblock removed and was confirmed as an ectopic choroid plexus tissue by pathological examination. The patient recovered uneventful and the symptom resolved during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Although ectopic choroid plexus is extremely rare, it should be taken into acount in the differential diagnosis of pathogenesis in syringomyelia or intramedullary cyst, aggressive surgical exploration should be considered when necessary.
