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Unexpected outcome (positive or negative) including adverse drug reactions
CASE REPORT
Spatial reorganisation of the somatosensory cortex in a patient with a low-grade glioma
  1. Sunit Das1,
  2. Melanie Morrison2,
  3. Fred Tam3 and
  4. Simon Graham3
  1. 1 Neurosurgery, St Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  2. 2 Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK
  3. 3 Department of Medical Biophysics, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  1. Correspondence to Dr Sunit Das, sunit.das{at}utoronto.ca

Abstract

Multiple authors have speculated that functional plasticity of the neural networks required for speech and motor function may occur in the setting of low-grade brain tumours. Here, we present the case of a 39-year-old right-handed woman found on presentation for intermittent right-hand tingling and twitching to have a low-grade glioma involving the somatosensory cortex on both structural and functional MRI. Intraoperative awake mapping identified gyral dissociation of the somateosensory areas for right arm and leg sensation. These findings demonstrate that brain plasticity may be dramatic in the setting of a low-grade glioma, and emphasise the critical need for careful brain mapping when considering tumour resection in these patients.

  • neuroimaging
  • neurooncology
  • CNS cancer
  • neurosurgery

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-228971

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors SD, MM, FT and SG were involved in the planning, conduct and reporting of the work described in the article.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Patient consent for publication Obtained.