Diencephalic epilepsy with congenital suprasellar arachnoid cyst in an infant

Abstract

The authors report the case of a 2-year-old infant who presented with paroxysm and short changes characterized by acute drowsiness, cold sweats, ocular reversion, facial cyanosis, and bradycardia. Between these attacks, the condition was normal, suggesting diencephalic seizures. Over 2 months five fits were observed by the parents when some to-and-fro bobbing of the head onto the trunk appeared during drowsiness. One electroencephalogram was normal without a slow background or spikes discharges. As the skull radiographs showed erosion of the jugum and chronic intracranial hypertension features, a CT scan was performed and showed hydrocephalus associated with a congenital suprasellar cyst. The cyst was opened into basal cisterns with cystoperitoneal shunt. The histological examination revealed that it was an arachnoid cyst. Six months later, the infant was free of diencephalic seizures and head bobbing. Thus, we can assert that there was a direct relationship between this cyst and the diencephalic seizures. From this case, the authors make a review of the clinical features of diencephalic epilepsy, and their different causes and show that both diencephalic epilepsy and suprasellar arachnoid cysts are not common.