2009-09-01-09 Answer to the case of the week #253 © Molina www.TheFetus.net

Answer to the case of the week #253

October 01, 2009 - October 15, 2009

Andrés Arencibia Molina, MD.

Complejo Hospitalario Materno Insular de Gran Canaria. Spain. Servicio de Obstetricia y Ginecología.
Correspondence to: Andrés Arencibia Molina, Paseo de Lugo nº 16,  Piso Primero (3), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Apartado 35004. España.

Case report

A solid mass was found within the fetal brain during ultrasound examination performed at 38 weeks of a pregnancy. The mass was located under the third cerebral ventricle and measured 25x23 mm. After birth, a nuclear magnetic resonance (MRI) confirmed the diagnosis of hypothalamic hamartoma syndrome.

Images 1, 2: 38 weeks; the images represent transverse scans of the fetal head. An abnormal round mass of the hypothalamic hamartoma can be seen centrally (the lesion is depicted by the dashed line on the image 2).

Images 3, 4: 38 weeks; the images show transverse scans of the fetal head with the slightly hyperechoic round mass of the hypothalamic hamartoma that can be seen centrally.

Images 5, 6: MRI images showing the hypothalamic hamartoma.

Images 7, 8: The image 7 represents a drawing of the hypothalamus - the hypothalamus (in pink) is anteriorly and ventrally to thalamic structures. The anterior border of hypothalamus is made by the lamina terminalis (LT), the posterior border is formed by line between the mammillary bodies (MB) and posterior commissure (CP). The floor of the hypothalamus is formed by the infundibular stalk (IS), tuber cinereum (TC) and mammillaris bodies. The roof of the hypothalamus is bordered by an imaginary line between anterior and posterior commissures. CA - anterior commissure; OC - optic chiasm.  The image 8 depicts the hamartoma of the hypothalamic region.