[Symptomatic Chiari type-II malformation in the neonatal period: a review of 4 cases]. / Malformación de Chiari tipo II sintomática en periodo neonatal: revisión de cuatro casos.

Four newborn patients with symptomatic Chiari II malformations were studied retrospectively. Clinical manifestations and surgical results are presented. All of these patients had hydrocephalus, which was symptomatic in two patients from the first day of life. Three of them had bradycardia and apnea spells. Two patients had lower cranial nerve palsies. Cranial sonography was the first neuroimaging procedure used and it played an important role during the follow-up period, especially for the study of the hydrocephalus. Two newborns could be studied with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). It defined the level of the decent of the fossa posterior structures and the associated malformations. All of the patients were treated with surgical repair of the spinal dysraphism, ventricular shunt and decompressive surgery. Two patients died before the age of three months. Two other patients showed better evolution after their two year and four year check-ups, respectively. Bradycardia and apnea spells are features that worsen the prognosis as compared with other manifestations.

[Cerebellar medulloblastoma in childhood: supratentorial metastasis]. / Meduloblastoma cerebeloso en la infancia: metástasis supratentoriales.

Reports on supratentorial metastases of medulloblastoma are infrequent. Computed tomography has increased the possibilities of detecting then in a silent clinical phase. Five children with supratentorial metastasis of medulloblastoma were retrospectively reviewed. Diagnosis was established by cranial CT between three and sixty months following treatment of the tumor. Dissemination through the ventricular system was found in all the cases. Other lesions were found in the transition zone between the white and grey matter (2/5) and the left frontal lobe (1/5). The routes of dissemination are discussed. Early diagnosis of supratentorial metastasis of medulloblastoma require periodic cranial CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at least during the first years after diagnosis and treatment of the primary tumor.

[Neuroleptic malignant syndrome associated with the inadequate antidiuretic hormone secretion syndrome]. / Síndrome neuroléptico maligno asociado a síndrome de inadecuada secreción de hormona antidiurética.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is an adverse reaction of an idiosyncratic nature to drugs having antidopaminergic activity. Pathogenesis is largely disputed. An NMS case is presented which was triggered by flupentixol and was associated with severe hyponatremia (116 mmol/l upon admission). Both clinically and analytically, the hyponatraemia fulfills criteria to be considered secondary to an inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). Other possible causes of hyponatraemia were ruled out. After early treatment with dopaminergic agonists and water restriction, both conditions improved in parallel. The different pathogenetic possibilities which may explain the temporal coexistence of both syndromes in the same patient are discussed. The association of these two conditions is in favour of a probable central pathogenetic cause for NMS. On the other hand, it is suggested that hyponatraemia may mask the diagnosis of NMS.