Case Report
Volume 3 Issue 5 - May 2017
DOI: 10.19080/OAJNN.2017.03.555625
Open Access J Neurol Neurosurg
Copyright © All rights are reserved by Juan Pablo Appendino
Case Report: Aicardi Syndrome presenting as
Cleft Lip and Palate
Danielle Weidman
1
and Juan Pablo Appendino
2
*
1
Paediatric Resident, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada
2
Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Canada
Submission: March 02, 2017; Published: May 30, 2017
*Corresponding author: Juan Pablo Appendino, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University
of Calgary, Pediatric Epilepsy and Child Neurology, Alberta Children’s Hospital 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Tel:
Fax: 403-955-7609; Pager: 403-212-8223 #14691; Email:
Introduction
Aicardi syndrome (AS) is a relatively rare disease that was
originally described in 1965 by a French neurologist named Dr.
Jean Aicardi.AS consists of a classically described triad including
partial or total agenesis of the corpus callosum, unilateral or
bilateral chorio retinal lacunaes, and infantile spasms [1]. The
causative gene mutation for Aicardi syndrome has not yet been
determined although it seems to occur in patients with two X
chromosomes as a result of heterozygous defects in an essential
X-linked gene or by defects in an autosomal gene with sex-limited
expression but not by a copy number variant [2]. Evidence
supports early embryonic lethality in hemizygous males.
However, there are known cases of Aicardi syndrome in males
with XXY karyotype [1-11] and one male with XY karyotype with
the classic clinical trial of Aicardi syndrome [12]. The incidence
of Aicardi syndrome in the United States is estimated to be 1per
105,000 births [11] and the know prevalence in Norway is 0.63
per 100,000 females [13] while the prevalence worldwide is
approximately several thousand [11].
Despite chorio retinal lacunae being the most common,
reliable and pathognomonic findings for this syndrome; other
features associated with AS have been described, including
cortical malformations, intracranial cysts, focal seizures, mental
retardation, vertebral anomalies, cleft lip and palate and eye
abnormalities. [1] Cleft lip and palate is believe to occur in
about only 3% of patients with AS [9]; however, it usually first
presents to the pediatrician for medical advice. Awareness
of AS and its diagnostic challenge among our pediatrician
colleaguesis necessary. This case report tries to illustrate the
most common diagnostic criteria with the aim to educate our
medical community.
Case Report
Figure 1: The patient’s left-sided cleft lip and palate.
A female infant was born at 41 weeks gestation by induced
vaginal delivery to a G1P0 28-year-old mother. The pregnancy
was uncomplicated and parents are not consanguineous.
Cleft lip was diagnosed prenatally on ultrasound at 29 weeks
gestation. At birth, the baby was noted to have a cleft palate
as well (Figure 1). Apgar scores were 3 and 8 at 5 and 10
Open Access J Neurol Neurosurg 3(5): OAJNN.MS.ID.555625 (2017) 001
Abstract
Aicardi syndrome (AS) is an unusual neurological disorder that was originally described in 1965 by Dr. Jean Aicardi. This disorder is
characterized by a triad of abnormalities: agenesis of the corpus callosum, chorio retinal lacunae, and infantile spasms. There are infrequent
reports of cleft lip and palate in patients with AS. This report details a case of a patient with AS who presented with left-sided cleft lip and
palate and right eye coloboma to her pediatrician; however, the diagnosis of AS was not suspected until later when the she presented with
Infantile Spasms. The discussion will focus on the existing literature of AS with cleft lip and palate and ophthalmological findings offering
a learning point to the pediatric community in regards with her clinical, neuroimaging and neurophysiological findings for an earlier and
appropriate diagnosis.