Related Experiment Videos
Sex ratios in congenital malformations of the central nervous system
Ronald J Lemire1, Thomas W Pendergrass
1Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center and University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Wash. 98105, USA. rlemir@chmc.org
Insights
Pediatric neurosurgeons evaluate central nervous system (CNS) malformations. This report details CNS malformations with altered sex ratios, aiding in diagnosis and prediction.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Medical Genetics
Background:
- Central nervous system (CNS) malformations exhibit diverse morphological variations.
- These defects can be isolated or part of a larger syndrome.
- Altered sex ratios are observed in many CNS malformations, though underlying causes are often unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review selected central nervous system (CNS) malformations.
- To highlight CNS malformations with significant alterations in sex ratios.
- To provide insights into the diagnostic and predictive value of sex ratio data in CNS malformations.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of CNS malformations.
- Analysis of reported sex ratios for specific congenital brain anomalies.
- Synthesis of information on patterns of sex predilection.
Main Results:
- Certain CNS malformations demonstrate recurrent, non-random sex ratio alterations.
- These patterns suggest potential biological or etiological influences beyond chance.
- Observed sex dominance can inform clinical suspicion and diagnostic strategies.
Conclusions:
- Sex ratio data is a valuable, yet often underutilized, tool in the clinical assessment of CNS malformations.
- Understanding altered sex ratios can enhance the prediction of malformation likelihood.
- Further research into the etiological basis of sex-biased CNS malformations is warranted.
Abstract:
Malformations of the central nervous system (CNS) are evaluated and treated by pediatric neurosurgeons. There is a spectrum of morphological variations within each type of malformation and with associated features that may determine whether the defect is isolated or part of a syndrome. Alterations in the normal sex ratio have been found in many malformations of the CNS but the reasons for them are usually unclear. It can be reasoned that some CNS malformations would have unusual sex ratios by chance alone. However there are recurrent patterns. When there is a dominance of one sex for a particular malformation, this information can help predict the likelihood of the malformation in a patient and influence diagnostic approaches. The present report provides information on selected CNS malformations that have altered sex ratios.