Central Nervous System Malformation and Maternal Anticonvulsive Therapy

Abstract

A 26-year-old epileptic primipara treated with high doses of various anticonvulsants throughout her pregnancy, produced at term a girl with multiple malformations of skeletal system, extremities, and central nervous system. Autopsy on the sixth postnatal day revealed secondary changes of purulent bronchopneumonia, meningitis at the site of the lumbar myelomeningocele, and hematomyelia. The main dysplasia in the CNS consisted of craniolacunia with lumbar myelomeningocele, unithalamus, hypoplasia of cerebellar vermis with localized meningeal angiomatosis, and unilateral aplasia of anterior pyramidal tract. The possible teratogenic effect of anticonvulsants on the fetal CNS was discussed.