Affiliations: [a] Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA | [b] Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA | [c] Department of Neurology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA | [d] Department of Rehabilitation Services, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA | [e] Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ibrahim Qaddoumi, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 260, Memphis, TN 38105, USA. Tel.: +1 901 595 5175; Fax: +1 901 595 4386; E-mail: ibrahim.qaddoumi@stjude.org.
Abstract: PURPOSE: To describe clinical data, rehabilitation services, and outcomes of children with handedness switching as their presenting symptom before low-grade glioma (LGG) diagnosis. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for five patients (four female and four white) with LGG and confirmed handedness switching before LGG diagnosis. RESULTS: All children were less than 8 years at diagnosis, and two patients were less than 3 years. All children were initially right-handed and experienced loss of motor function, ranging from weakness to paresis, in their dominant hand. The median time from switching handedness to diagnosis was 1 month (range: 0.75–60 months). Rehabilitation was offered for three patients, and motor function deficits in the initial dominant hand were resolved in two of the total cohort. At long-term follow-up, hand dominance returned to the initial hand in three patients. CONCLUSIONS: Handedness switching should be acknowledged as a potential sign of LGG in children, and early long-term rehabilitation services should be offered for these children.
