European journal of paediatric neurology : EJPN : official journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society
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Eur. J. Paediatr. Neurol. · Jan 2002
Case ReportsIsolated hypoglossal nerve palsy in a 14-year-old girl.
Isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy is rare, but occasionally it appears as the initial or solitary sign of an intracranial or extracranial space-occupying lesion or a vascular abnormality of the internal carotid artery. We present a 14-year-old girl who, following an upper respiratory tract infection, presented with isolated right hypoglossal nerve palsy. ⋯ She had a partial improvement at 3 months. This case emphasizes the value of recognizing the existence of benign self-limiting, post-infectious causes of isolated hypoglossal nerve palsies in children.
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Eur. J. Paediatr. Neurol. · Jan 2002
ReviewPantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome).
The arguments over the nomenclature of the syndrome are reviewed. Ethical considerations favour replacing the present eponyms with the title of panthothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), now that more is known about the cause of the condition. The symptoms and signs of the syndrome are described, and these can present from infancy to adult life. ⋯ Drugs may be needed to control epilepsy, and when dystonia is severe it may be possible to alleviate this by medical or surgical means. Also there will be other problems needing expert management, such as the provision of alternative means of communication if dysarthria is marked. The hope for the future is that now the cause has been found it will be possible to use methods such as antioxidative therapy and gene induction procedures.