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Case Reports
. 2024 Oct;52(5):741-747.
doi: 10.62641/aep.v52i5.1741.

An 8-Year 5-Month-Old Boy with a Basal Ganglia Lesion with Triphasic Waves on Electroencephalogram

Yanli Zhang  1 , Tao Yu  1 , Jianing Cui  2 , Qiuyu Fu  3 , Gang Ning  4 , Rong Luo  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

An 8-Year 5-Month-Old Boy with a Basal Ganglia Lesion with Triphasic Waves on Electroencephalogram

Yanli Zhang et al. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2024 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Triphasic waves (TWs) on electroencephalograms (EEGs) have predominantly been observed in adults, often associated with Creutzfeldt‒Jakob disease and metabolic encephalopathy. However, TWs have also been linked to various nonmetabolic and structural abnormalities. Additionally, reports of TWs in children are rare.

Case presentation: We present the case of an 8-year and 5-month-old boy with basal ganglia lesion who exhibited TWs in the local C3 lead on electroencephalography. Subsequent EEGs revealed no additional abnormalities. During the follow-up at 1 year and 8 months, there was no significant change in the patient's condition.

Conclusion: Triphasic waves can occur in children with basal ganglia lesions, but their underlying causes may differ from those previously reported. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms and clinical significance of TWs in pediatric patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) on February 4, 2022 (8 years and 5 months). Abnormal signal (blue arrow) in the posterior left lenticular nucleus: small abnormal signal on slightly high on T2 Weighted Imaging (T2WI), T2-Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (T2-FLAIR), and T1 Weighted Imaging (T1WI), and slightly low on Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI), with unrestricted diffusion. (From left to right is T2W1, T2-FLAIR, T1WI, DWI.)
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
EEG on February 16, 2022 (8 years and 5 months). Localized triphasic waves are visible in the C3, F3, and P3 leads, notably on C3. (EEG, electroencephalogram; blue arrow indicates triphasic waves.)
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
EEG on July 22, 2022 (8 years and 10 months). Three-phase waves can be seen in lead C3. (EEG, electroencephalogram; blue arrow indicates triphasic waves.)
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
EEG on April 25, 2023 (9 years and 7 months). Three-phase waves were visible in the lead C3. (EEG, electroencephalogram; blue arrow indicates triphasic waves.)
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Brain MRI on July 22, 2022 (8 years and 10 months). a, T2WI; b, T2-FLAIR; c, T1WI; d, DWI. Small abnormal signal (blue arrow) in the left posterior lenticular nucleus on (d, DWI), slightly high on T2WI, T2-FLAIR, and T1WI, slightly low on DWI, with unrestricted diffusion. Compared to February 4, 2022, the area of abnormal signal in the left posterior portion of the lenticular nucleus reduced.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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