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Objective This study was aimed to investigate the prenatal findings in Aicardi syndrome (AIC) by intrauterine magnetic resonance imaging (iuMRI) suggesting possible diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis. Methods The iuMRI features of nine AIC confirmed cases were described and then compared with those of postnatal MRI. Furthermore, all iuMRI cases with both corpus callosum (CC) agenesis–dysgenesis and cortical malformation (AIC mimickers) were retrospectively reviewed and compared with iuMRI AIC cases, in order to identify possible neuroradiological predictors of AIC syndrome. For this purpose, Chi-square statistic and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. Results In all AIC cases, iuMRI was able to detect CC agenesis–dysgenesis and cortical development anomalies. Postnatal MRI revealed some additional findings mainly including further cystic lesions and in two cases small coloboma. A statistically significant difference between AIC and AIC mimicker were found regarding sex, nodular heterotopias, posterior fossa abnormalities, coloboma, and cortical gyration abnormalities. The most predictive variables in the logistic regression model were cortical gyration abnormalities, coloboma, and sex. Conclusion The iuMRI findings may suggest prenatal diagnosis of AIC syndrome with significant impact on parental counseling. Among possible differential diagnoses, tubulinopathies emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular abnormalities that may cause seizures, intracerebral haemorrhages, and focal neurological deficits. Familial form shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with incomplete penetrance and variable clinical expression. Three genes have been identified causing familial CCM: KRIT1/CCM1, MGC4607/CCM2, and PDCD10/CCM3. Aim of this study is to report additional PDCD10/CCM3 families poorly described so far which account for 10-15% of hereditary cerebral cavernous malformations. Our group investigated 87 consecutive Italian affected individuals (i.e. positive Magnetic Resonance Imaging) with multiple/familial CCM through direct sequencing and Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) analysis. We identified mutations in over 97.7% of cases, and PDCD10/CCM3 accounts for 13.1%. PDCD10/CCM3 molecular screening revealed four already known mutations and four novel ones. The mutated patients show an earlier onset of clinical manifestations as compared to CCM1/CCM2 mutated patients. The study of further families carrying mutations in PDCD10/CCM3 may help define a possible correlation between genotype and phenotype; an accurate clinical follow up of the subjects would help define more precisely whether mutations in PDCD10/CCM3 lead to a characteristic phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]