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Paslaru FG, Panaitescu AM, Nestian E, Iancu G, Veduta A, Paslaru AC, Pop LG, Gorgan RM. Medulloblastoma Presenting as Severe Headache during Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2022; 58:127. [PMID: 35056435 PMCID: PMC8778892 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58010127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Headache is a common complaint during pregnancy and the puerperium. The differentiation between a benign headache and a headache that has an underlying more endangering cause, such as an intracranial tumor, can be difficult and often requires diagnostic procedures and brain imaging techniques. We report the case of an 18-year-old female patient who developed clinical symptoms-persistent headache followed by neurological deficit-in the last part of her pregnancy. A medulloblastoma (MB) was diagnosed and treated after delivery. We review 11 other cases of MB in pregnancy reported in the literature. The most common clinical manifestation at diagnosis was headache followed by neurological deficits. We discuss the association of brain tumor growth with physiological changes during pregnancy. We conclude that clinical features of intracranial tumors can be misinterpreted as pregnancy-related symptoms and should not be dismissed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Gabriela Paslaru
- Neurosurgical Department, Bagdasar-Arseni Clinical Emergency Hospital, 041915 Bucharest, Romania; (F.G.P.); (E.N.); (R.M.G.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anca Maria Panaitescu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, 011132 Bucharest, Romania; (G.I.); (A.V.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Elena Nestian
- Neurosurgical Department, Bagdasar-Arseni Clinical Emergency Hospital, 041915 Bucharest, Romania; (F.G.P.); (E.N.); (R.M.G.)
| | - George Iancu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, 011132 Bucharest, Romania; (G.I.); (A.V.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Alina Veduta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, 011132 Bucharest, Romania; (G.I.); (A.V.)
| | - Alexandru Catalin Paslaru
- Department of Physiology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
- Dr. Victor Gomoiu Children’s Clinical Hospital, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Lucian Gheorghe Pop
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Institute of Mother and Child Care Alessandrescu-Rusescu, 020395 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Radu Mircea Gorgan
- Neurosurgical Department, Bagdasar-Arseni Clinical Emergency Hospital, 041915 Bucharest, Romania; (F.G.P.); (E.N.); (R.M.G.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
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