Segmental myoclonus as the sole manifestation of a choroid plexus papilloma in the posterior fossa. Case report.

Abstract

The authors describe the case of a 22-year-old woman with involuntary contractions of the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles that resulted in turning movements of the head. The jerks displayed the clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of segmental myoclonus (SM) restricted to muscles supplied bilaterally by the first four cervical segments. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a tumor in the midline above the cisterna magna that was later histologically proven to be a choroid plexus papilloma. The patient's involuntary movements did not extend to other muscle groups or, in particular, to the palate, as one might have expected in the case of brainstem lesions. Myoclonus was the sole clinical manifestation of the tumor in this patient; other signs and symptoms invariably reported in other cases of posterior fossa papilloma, such as increased intracranial pressure or cranial nerve palsies, were absent. Release from suprasegmental control is suggested as a possible pathophysiological mechanism in this case of SM.