Congenital brain malformations in Sudanese children: an outpatient-based study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Developmental Biology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Congenital brain malformations (CBMs) are diverse structural abnormalities of the developing brain.
• Etiologies include prenatal infections, teratogens, and genetic factors.
• High consanguinity rates and potential for prenatal infections suggest CBMs may be prevalent in Sudan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical characteristics of children diagnosed with CBMs.
• To identify the common types of CBMs in Sudanese children.
• To assess the frequency of CBMs in pediatric neurology clinics in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Main Methods:

• Clinical evaluation and neuroimaging were used to diagnose CBMs.
• Patients under 18 with developmental delay, seizures, or abnormal head size were included.
• Data was collected over six months (September 2016-March 2017) from two tertiary pediatric neurology clinics.

Main Results:

• 105 out of 2,114 patients (5%) were diagnosed with CBMs.
• The majority of patients had single (57.1%) or multiple (42.9%) brain anomalies.
• Cortical malformations were the most common CBMs, observed in 35.1% of cases.

Conclusions:

• CBMs represent a significant neurological condition in Sudanese children.
• Cortical malformations are the predominant type of CBMs.
• Further community-based studies are necessary to determine CBM prevalence, causes, and outcomes in Sudan.