[Clinical features in subjects with congenital anomalies of the corpus callosum]

The corpus callosum is a connecting structure between the two cerebral hemispheres. Its development occurs between 8th and 20th week of gestation. Anomalies of the corpus callosum are divided into malformative or acquired anomalies and may be isolated or associated with other cerebral malformations. The diagnosis of an alteration of the corpus callosum is fundamentally based on neuroradiological examinations. In our study we evaluate the major clinical findings, the psychomotor development, the electroencephalographic and neuroradiological features in a group of 14 children with congenital callosal anomalies, trying to single out how the associated cerebral malformations interfered with the clinical manifestations and especially the prognosis. It was not possible to highlight a distinctive symptom indicative of the presence of a corpus callosum anomaly; nevertheless in 11/14 children there was a psychomotor delay of varying degree. 42% of our subjects presented epilepsy, with a typical West syndrome in 5/6. Children affected by isolated callosum anomalies did not present any significant clinical manifestations. Finally, we conclude that the determinating factors in the severity of the clinical-electroencephalographic picture as a whole, and especially in the prognosis of our patients are the cerebral malformations associated to the callosum anomalies.