Congenital neuroblastoma presenting with paraplegia following spinal puncture in a neonate. Case report and review of the literature.

Neuroblastoma is the most common intraspinal solid tumor of childhood. Neurological deterioration due to an intratumoral hemorrhage following a spinal puncture is extremely rare. We report on the case of a 23-day-old neonate who was admitted to our institution for the onset of a paraplegia following a diagnostic lumbar puncture. The MRI showed an epidural tumor with massive intratumoral hemorrhage. Operatively and with histologic confirmation, the mass was determined to be a neuroblastoma. Following surgery, neurological function improved.

[Iliopsoas abscess: a rare complication of pyogenic sacroiliitis in a child]. / Abcès du muscle iliopsoas : complication rare de la sacro-iliite à pyogène chez l'enfant.

Pyogenic sacroiliitis is a rare entity in children. Diagnosis is often delayed because of its variable clinical presentation, low suspicion by the examining physician, and rare findings on radiographs. Delayed diagnosis, however, results in complications such as iliopsoas abscess. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl hospitalized with a 21-day history of fever, pain in the left iliac fossa, and flexion contracture of the hip. On examination, she had fever (38.9 degrees C), psoitis, localized tenderness at the left sacroiliac joint, and pain elicited by lateral compression of the pelvis. The abdominal examination was normal. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 130 mm in the first hour, C-reactive protein was 186 mg/l, and the white blood cell count was 18,400/mm(3), with 79% neutrophils. Urinalysis was normal. Blood cultures were negative. Radiographs of the pelvis showed irregular left sacroiliac borders. The CT scan provided the diagnosis of sacroiliitis complicated by an ilioapsoas abcsess. Treatment was based on antibiotic therapy associated with surgical drainage. Bacteriologic investigation revealed Staphylococcus aureus. The patient's temperature returned to normal on the second day. Antibiotics were continued for 3 months, leading to full recovery.

[Osteogenesis imperfecta and hearing loss in childhood]. / L'ostéogenèse imparfaite, cause rare de surdité chez l'enfant.

We report a case of bilateral hearing loss in a child, caused by osteogenesis imperfecta and we evaluate CT scan findings. A 12-year-old child consulted for bilateral hearing loss. A computed tomography scan of the petrous temporal bone showed bilateral extensive unmineralized bone involving the cochleae, vestibules, and semicircular canals extending to the internal auditory canals. Osteogenesis imperfecta of the temporal bone is a genetic connective tissue disorder with increased bone fragility, low bone mass, and other extraskeletal manifestations. Hearing loss is rare in the first 2 decades of life, but it is one of the frequent features of this disorder in adult patients. Thin-section CT scans of the temporal bone show a remarkable proliferation of unmineralized bone involving the otic capsule. This demineralization is similar to that observed in the cochlear form of otospongiosis.

[Cherubism: a new case with review of literature]. / Le chérubisme: à propos d'une nouvelle observation avec revue de la littérature.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate radiological characteristics of cherubism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We report the case of a 7-year-old boy presented with facial deformity, bilateral mandibular swellings, right exophthalmia and dislocated teeth. Panoramic radiograph, Computed tomography scan and MR imaging were performed. RESULTS: Panoramic radiograph revealed multiloculated osteolysis involving the entire mandible and the right maxilla with dislocated teeth. Computed tomography scan showed multicystic expansive bony masses without cortical disruption occupying the mandible and right maxilla with extension to the orbital floor. On MR, these lesions demonstrated intermediate inhomogeneous signal intensity on T1 and T2 weighted images with high enhancement after gadolinium administration. MRI was useful in identifying orbital involvement. These clinical and radiological findings are in favor of the diagnosis of cherubism. CONCLUSION: Cherubism is a rare hereditary benign lesion of the mandible that appears in childhood as bilateral painless swellings which progress until puberty, then spontaneously regress. Plain radiographs and computed tomography scan are sufficient for diagnosis. MR imaging is useful to study the expansion to soft tissues, in particular in the aggressive forms, and establish preoperative vascular assessment. The treatment is plastic and aims to correct the facial deformities.