[Tomodensitometric study of cerebral accidents causing acute hemiplegia in children]

Abstract

Computerized Axial Tomography (C.A.T.) easily distinguishes between the two types of cerebral accident responsible for the two major categories of acute hemiplegia in childhood. 1) In hemiplegias which develop in association with hemiclonic status epilepticus (H. H. and H. H. E. syndromes), in the majority of cases there is an appearance of cortico-sub-cortical atrophy involving the whole hemisphere contralateral to the hemiplegia. This atrophy develops following oedema of the hemisphere which accompanies the initial status epilepticus and which is clearly shown by a very early T.A.C. 2) In congenital or acquired hemiplegias not associated with status epilepticus there is, in most cases, an appearance of cerebral infarction or, very rarely, haemorrhage. It is thus possible, from a physiopathogenic standpoint, to draw a clear distinction between these two major forms of acute infantile hemiplegia. The first (H. H. and H. H. E. syndromes) usually result from hemispheric atrophy which develops in association with a unilateral or predominantly lateral episode of status epilepticus, whilst the second group are usually the result of cerebral infarction.