Megalencephaly, polymicrogyria and ribbon-like band heterotopia: A new cortical malformation

Brain Dev. 2016 Nov;38(10):950-953. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2016.06.004. Epub 2016 Jul 2.

Abstract

Megalencephalic polymicrogyria syndromes include megalencephaly-capillary malformation and megalencephaly-polymicrogyria-polydactyly-hydrocephalus. Recent genetic studies have identified that genes in the PI3K-AKT pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of these disorders. Herein, we report a patient who presented with developmental delay, epilepsy and peculiar neuroimaging findings of megalencephaly, polymicrogyria, and symmetrical band heterotopia in the periventricular region. The heterotopias exhibited inhomogeneous signals with undulatory mixtures of gray and white matter, resembling ribbon-like heterotopia, with a predominance in the temporal to occipital regions. These neuroradiological findings were not consistent with those in known megalencephalic polymicrogyria syndromes. No genetic abnormality was identified through whole-exome sequencing. The neuroimaging findings of this patient may represent a novel cortical malformation involving megalencephaly with polymicrogyria and ribbon-like band heterotopia.

Keywords: Cortical malformation; Megalencephaly; Polymicrogyria; Ribbon-like heterotopia; Subcortical heterotopia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Classical Lissencephalies and Subcortical Band Heterotopias / diagnostic imaging*
  • Classical Lissencephalies and Subcortical Band Heterotopias / genetics
  • Female
  • Genotyping Techniques
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Megalencephaly / diagnostic imaging*
  • Megalencephaly / genetics
  • Microarray Analysis
  • Polymicrogyria / diagnostic imaging*
  • Polymicrogyria / genetics

Supplementary concepts

  • Band Heterotopia of Brain