attention in 2yr old and possible brain cyst

[joanna hanna]

we have a 2yr girl who is severally delayed in communications at40%, and cogniative delays at 36% she is actually 25 1\2mo.  her speech therapist and ther sooner start people say she has very poor attention span.  when we are in speach theropy if there is more than one toy she will not pay any attention to us, we have also noticed that if she is not intrested in something she will not respond either.  she does have siezure related to breath holding but i wonder about that should'nt she beable to hold breath for more than 20sec and not go into a generalized siezure? at any rate some of her probblems begine to show after she started having siezures at 16mo but she has had 3 normall eegs, one other major sympstom my family, her nurologist, and gp all thought she was unable to her because she won't reapond to her name even when she is spoken to, but her hearing is fine.  what i really whant to know besides possibly if she could have add could this some how be related to a possible cyst that was noticed by her ped nurologist although even he was not shure as to what it was he just kept repeating there was potiential what does he mean by that, and since it was missied her at ccmh should i have the mri ran through radiology to have it vclerified as to what it is. and is it a good idea to let it go for a year when the mri film was already almost 6mo when viewed my my daughters ped nurologist?

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Joanna:

Sorry to hear about your daughter.  I am assuming that your pregnacy was normal, normal delivery, normal newborn period, motor milestones met on time with her walking about 1 year of age, beginning to feed herself, etc.  I am also assuming that the MRI was normal except for the "cyst".  Breath holding is a normal occurrance in children and to have a seizure at the end of one is not unheard of either.  But, she has seizures other than breath holding?  Other than her difficulty with language, she is perfectly normal?  

There are many things that you describe that can give a long list of possible etiologies.  But, just to answer your question.  If the MRI is otherwise normal, normal myelin pattern, normal neuronal migration, etc.  Where the cyst is located is important. It may mean nothing (such as a small archnoid cyst) or it may mean something.  I would take the film to someone who reads pediatric MRI films for a living.  The lack of attention in a otherwise normal 2 year old is not too unusual.  But, not examining your daughter, I cannot say for sure if her lack of attention is pathological.  Not responding to her name is worrisome.  What does she do when she gets anxious or mad?  Does she flap her hands?  When she is bored does she rock back and forth?  

Some things will become obvious as she grows older.  It is very good that you have her in early intervention.  The earlier the better.  I am not sure I helped you.  Answer my questions and I will try and get back to you.

sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[Joanna]

the delivery was very fast and she did reguire o2 and bag resesitation for 2 min before she started to breath she was 4.7 other than that it was normal.  when she gets upset or excited she will sometimes pull up her hand and kinda flap it saying nanan or she will drop to the ground if she is mad. as fare as rocking katelynn likes a lot of motion she does loke to rock in her rocking chair and jump up and down on the bed the more motion the better the same think with swinging the higher the better. she also will through when she gets fustrated and mainly follows comand only when you make a gesture to go with it.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Joanna:

Most term infants do not have problems with a simple 2 minute oxygen bagging.  But some do, was the MRI perfect for age in structure and myelination pattern?  There are some soft signs of stereotypical behaviors but without seeing them, I can't really comment.  Did you say that she has seizures without breath holding? Let me know about these questions.

CCF Neuro MD

[Joanna]

her mri was normal wxcept for the possible cyst i really wish i new where it was logates. she had one siezure that ifelt was not breath hold but the nueroologist was n5ot sureit happened when i layed her down after taking her dress off
as far  i as  i could tell that should not had adjetated her enough to cause a siezure she had no nap and it was late plus i had disturbed her sleep pattern. even her nurologist was confused it was a different setr of cercomstances and she went ri0ght into a second siezure is that normal for breath holding?
also her basil scores where clear back to o-3mo and she peak at 30-31 mo in the same areas.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Joanna:

I am sorry but I do not understand what your trying to tell me about the MRI.  If it was normal in structure and myelination pattern, then that is good.  The cyst, it would depend on where it was located.  Likly, the pediatric neurologist will take a watch and wait attitude.  I am also not sure about the seizures.  Seizures can occur with breath holding and hopefully this is all the your daughter has.  The language delay is worrisome and since your in early intervention, that should see some improvement.  I wish your daughter well.

CCF Neuro MD

[joanna her EI cordinatior think sensory]

i do not know if this messeage will be seen. since i last wrote.  katelynn has started to show major sighnes of sensory integration disorder. she has to have motion, she will spin, rock and swing higher faster better, she has also started to put things back in her mouth on a regular basis she will pull fuzz from the couch, or off her blankets, she is always removing her clothes and diaper, she must have large amounts off hugs and kisses a day.could this be corect who should we have do a evaluation?  one last think they say that she does this all for the sensation, have you ever heard off a 2 yr old playinf with her self they say she needs the sensation, but this is very worriening to me the only time that katie is ever touched os to clean her, could she had learned the sensation and liked it?

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Joanna:

It sounds like your daughter has a problems called, pervasive developmental disorder.  I would get her examined by a pediatric neurologist.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[sheree]

My son is 11 yrs. old.  He was in a bike accident 2 weeks ago and received a class 3 concussion.  He had a ct scan at the hospital.  They said everything was normal except that he has a cyst on his brain in the occipital area.  The doctor told me to tell his pediatrician but not to worry about it.  I needed more information so I called his pedi-neurologist (he sees him for ADHD).  The report from the ct scan did not say anything about the cyst, so I picked up the ct scan films and brought them to his pedi-neurologist to look at.  He said that there is definately something there and he would send the films to neurology-radiology(?) to have them re-read and if needed an addendum written.  I've been searching for information on brain cysts and can't find any.  Please help!!  I think my son should have an MRI to verify the findings.  Can I request his doctor to order one??  Can someone e-mail me back??  My address is ***@****.

It would be appreciated.

[sheree]

My son is 11 yrs. old.  He was in a bike accident 2 weeks ago and received a class 3 concussion.  He had a ct scan at the hospital.  They said everything was normal except that he has a cyst on his brain in the occipital area.  The doctor told me to tell his pediatrician but not to worry about it.  I needed more information so I called his pedi-neurologist (he sees him for ADHD).  The report from the ct scan did not say anything about the cyst, so I picked up the ct scan films and brought them to his pedi-neurologist to look at.  He said that there is definately something there and he would send the films to neurology-radiology(?) to have them re-read and if needed an addendum written.  I've been searching for information on brain cysts and can't find any.  Please help!!  I think my son should have an MRI to verify the findings.  Can I request his doctor to order one??  Can someone e-mail me back??  My address is ***@****.

It would be appreciated.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Sheree:

Without seeing the films I really can't tell you much.  Sounds like it is a arachnoid cyst, which is usually a benign cyst that either does not grow or is very slow in growing.  The finding is usually incidental and it is just followed.  

CCF Neuro MD

[joanna hanna]

i had a ped nuerologist read my daugters MRI they could not find her cyst huge reliefe.  I have a good question for you.

[joanna hanna]

i had a ped nuerologist read my daugters MRI they could not find her cyst huge reliefe.  I have a good question for you.

   If a child has a partial sacal agenesis in combination of conginital scoliosis with a 25 degree curve due to hemi vertabrea do you know how much progressin they will look for before surgery?  also katelynn was said to have good muscle tone last time we had her sean by her nuerologist and know a dev ped is saying her muscles are a little soft  could that be related to her only having 1 vertabrea in her sacrum could she have a nerve exposed possibly due to the sacreal agenesis?

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Joanna:

I can't answer you because each patient is different and I haven't examined your daughter nor seen the films.  I would talk to your pediatric neurologist about your questions as he/she knows the information.

CCF Neuro MD

[joanna hanna]

we finnaly got a dx on our little katelynn her nuerologist says she has verbal auditory agnesia what is this are ther any other names for the same condition that would make it easier to find info recarding it.  I know she is not able to understand what is said to her is this something she can grow out of with a lot of help and work

[joanna hanna]

i am sorry katelynn has verbal auditory agnosia is this a rare problems in a child as young as her?