TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS: NEONATAL ULTRASOUND PATTERNS

Purpose: We propose some brain and kidney ultrasound patterns in newborns affected by tuberous sclerosis.

Methods and Materials: We studied four newborns: everyone had cardiac rhabdomyoma seen at antenatal ultrasonographic examination in the third trimester of pregnancy and confirmed after birth. Routinely brain and renal ultrasound were performed in the first days of life.

Results: Brain images in preterm homozygotes twins (at 4 days of life) were characterized by periventricular hyperechogenicity associated with cysts at the floor of lateral ventricles. A third term newborn (at 5 days of life) had lateral ventricles with “coerced“ frontal horns, periventricular hyperechogenity at lateral ventricles' upper-external corner, heterogeneus parenchyma because of hyperechogenuos stippling, small subependymal cysts and small masses projecting into left lateral ventricle. Another term newborn (at 4 days of life) presented hyperechogenous, irregular and lumpy germinal matrix. Brain MR confirmed and completed ultrasound patterns.

The twins had normal renal ultrasound examination. The third newborn's renal ultrasound showed adult polycystic kidney disease, confirmed by scintigraphy and MR. Kidneys images in the last newborn were characterized by small multiple hyperechogenous lesions projecting into the medulla, confirmed by MR.

Conclusions: We would like to underline the role of ultrasound scan in newborns affected by cardiac rhabdomioma in order to point the possible presence of angiolipomas in other tissue. Besides echography is easy imaging instrument able to give usefull knowledges for the next diagnostic probing.