Hemimegalencephaly: Part 1. Genetic, Clinical, and Imaging Aspects

Hemimegalencephaly is a rare hamartomatous malformation of the brain, remarkable for its extreme asymmetry. It can be isolated or associated with several neurocutaneous syndromes; less frequently, it also involves the brain stem and cerebellum. Traditionally, hemimegalencephaly has been considered a primary neuroblast migratory disturbance. At present, genetic theories of pathogenesis and modern histopathology provide a basis for this complex malformation as a primary disturbance in cellular lineage, differentiation, and proliferation, interacting with a disturbance in gene expression of body symmetry, with earlier onset than radial neuroblast migration. From my personal experience with 10 patients with hemimegalencephaly and review of the literature, I have found the same clinical neurologic, neuroimaging, and neuropathologic features in isolated and syndromic hemimegalencephaly. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveals abnormal gyration, ventriculomegaly, colpocephaly, an "occipital sign" (displacement of the occipital lobe across the midline), and increased volume and T2 signal of white matter, in addition to the overall increased size of the involved hemisphere. Mild, moderate, and severe grades of severity can be recognized, providing a functional neurologic prognosis and therapeutic plan. Early diagnosis is crucial because despite neuroimaging and pathologic evidence, hemimegalencephaly sometimes still is unrecognized. Also, misdiagnosis of obstructive hydrocephalus or cerebral neoplasm can lead to unnecessary surgical procedures. Although hemispherectomy has a high morbidity, it is recommended early for patients with severe, intractable epilepsy. The mildest forms of hemimegalencephaly are infrequent and the least recognized.