Acute nonlymphocytic leukemia complicated by Garcin's syndrome

Syndrome de Garcin révélant un lymphome malin non hodgkinien

INTRODUCTION

R Garcin described progressive unilateral cranial nerve palsy in 1926. Garcin syndrome is characterized by progressive involvement of the cranial nerves culminating in total unilateral paralysis of all cranial nerves. Carcinoma of the skull base or ENT regions is the most common etiology.

CASE REPORT

A 74-year-old man developed signs involving the left Vth (V2 and V3) cranial nerve then the VIth, VIIth and VIIIth cranial nerves and finally the IXth and Xth. MRI showed involvement of these cranial nerves with gadolinium uptake and involvement of the pons at the terminal phase. Careful ENT explorations failed to reveal a cause. The lymphocyte count was elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient died one year after diagnosis and the general autopsy was normal. The neuropathological studies led to the post-mortem diagnosis of type B non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

CONCLUSION

In patients with Garcin syndrome, lymphoma is a possible diagnosis when carcinoma of the ENT regions or of the skull bases are not present.

Garcin syndrome resulting from a giant cell tumor of the skull base in a child

Garcin syndrome is characterized by a progressive ipsilateral involvement of cranial nerves, culminating in paralysis of all or at least seven of them, without sensory or motor long-tract disturbance, with no intracranial hypertension, and with osteoclastic involvement in the skull base on radiographic computed tomography. Giant cell tumor is a primary bone tumor rarely affecting the skull base. An 8-year-old female presented with a 3-month history of increasingly worsening right otalgia, tinnitus, hearing loss, right facial numbness, and diplopia. She was admitted with a 2-week history of swallowing difficulties, voice change, and right shoulder pain. Neurologic examination disclosed unilateral paralysis of the right fifth through twelfth cranial nerves, with no other abnormal neurologic findings. Skull radiographic computed tomography revealed lytic lesions in the right temporal petrous portion. Computed tomographic scan indicated a destructive mass involving the right greater wing of the sphenoid bone and temporal petrous apex. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a tumor arising from the temporosphenoidal region, infiltrating neither the brain nor the brainstem. No hydrocephalus was observed. Biopsy revealed giant cell tumor. Posterior treatment consisted of radiotherapy. At an 8-year follow-up, the patient was well but with functional sequelae. There is no magnetic resonance imaging evidence of tumor growth. No other giant cell tumor presenting as Garcin syndrome is known to have been reported.