Panagopoulos, D.; Stranjalis, G.; Gavra, M.; Boviatsis, E.; Korfias, S.; Karydakis, P.; Themistocleous, M. The Entity of Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome: A Narrative Review Centered on the Etiology, Diagnostics, Prevention, and Therapeutic Options. Children2023, 10, 83.
Panagopoulos, D.; Stranjalis, G.; Gavra, M.; Boviatsis, E.; Korfias, S.; Karydakis, P.; Themistocleous, M. The Entity of Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome: A Narrative Review Centered on the Etiology, Diagnostics, Prevention, and Therapeutic Options. Children 2023, 10, 83.
Panagopoulos, D.; Stranjalis, G.; Gavra, M.; Boviatsis, E.; Korfias, S.; Karydakis, P.; Themistocleous, M. The Entity of Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome: A Narrative Review Centered on the Etiology, Diagnostics, Prevention, and Therapeutic Options. Children2023, 10, 83.
Panagopoulos, D.; Stranjalis, G.; Gavra, M.; Boviatsis, E.; Korfias, S.; Karydakis, P.; Themistocleous, M. The Entity of Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome: A Narrative Review Centered on the Etiology, Diagnostics, Prevention, and Therapeutic Options. Children 2023, 10, 83.
Abstract
Cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS), also known as posterior fossa syndrome, is encountered in a subset of children who have undergone an operative procedure of the posterior cranial fossa, mainly involving the vermis, and the most frequent underlying pathology is proved to be medulloblastoma. The most common characteristics of this syndrome include an often transient, although protracted, language impairment, emotional lability, along with cerebellar, and brainstem dysfunction. Nevertheless, a significant number of patients experience persistent neurological deficits and lasting neurocognitive impairment. A lot of research and clinical studies have been performed in order to better delineate this syndrome. The main obstacles in our way to highlight all aspects of this syndrome were related with an inconsistent nomenclature, poorly defined diagnostic criteria, and uncertainty surrounding risk factors and etiology. Currently, there is a combination of diagnostic criteria that are regarded as prerequisites in order to establish the diagnosis of CMS. These include language impairment and emotional lability, as proposed by the international Board of the Posterior Fossa Society in their consensus statement. Several risk factors are recognized as implicated in the pathogenesis of this syndrome, including midline tumor location, diagnosis of medulloblastoma, younger age at diagnosis, and preoperatively established language impairment. A proposed etiology of CMS includes disruption of the cerebellar outflow tracts, the cerebellar nuclei, and their efferent projections through the superior cerebellar peduncle. Specific treatment for CMS is lacking, and it continues to be directed at symptom management. Our aim is to present a comprehensive narrative review of CMS etiology, diagnosis, risk factors, clinical presentation, and clinical management. Moreover, we attempt to recognize the most widely recognized priorities of the research community in order to expand our knowledge in the era of diagnostics, prevention, and therapeutic options for patients suffering from CM, or who are at risk for development of this syndrome.
Medicine and Pharmacology, Neuroscience and Neurology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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