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Lead encephalopathy mimicking a cerebellar tumor
Author(s) -
Perelman S,
HertzPannier L,
Hassan M,
Bourrillon A
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1993.tb12713.x
Subject(s) - medicine , lead poisoning , complication , cerebellum , encephalopathy , cerebral edema , edema , brain edema , lead (geology) , radiology , pathology , surgery , psychiatry , geomorphology , geology
Encephalopathy is a rare but severe complication of lead poisoning, mainly due to cerebral edema. Usually diffuse, symptoms and signs are sometimes focal, suggesting a false diagnosis of tumor, particularly cerebellar tumor. We report such a case diagnosed by MR imaging in which early treatment for edema avoided neurosurgical exploration. Only six cases have been published since Biemond and Van Creveld's first report in 1939. Several data—clinical and experimental—providing specific involvement of cerebellum in lead poisoning are emphasized.