French doctors are puzzling over the case of 44-year-old civil servant who has led a quite normal life — but with an extraordinarily tiny brain. In a case history published in Lancet, (Journal reference: The Lancet vol 370, page 262) doctors led by Lionel Feuillet (Hopital of Marseille) say he was admitted to hospital after suffering mild weakness in his left leg.
Scans by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that the man's cerebral cavities, called ventricles, had massively expanded. "The brain itself, meaning the grey matter and white matter, was completely crushed against the sides of the skull".
The images were most unusual.. the brain was virtually absent," he said. They were astonished to see "massive enlargement" of the lateral ventricles - usually tiny chambers that hold the cerebrospinal fluid that cushions the brain (left pictures; normal brain on the right).
The patient's medical history showed that at the age of six months, he suffered hydrocephalus, also called water on the brain, and needed an operation to drain this dangerous buildup of spinal fluid.
Intelligence tests showed the man had an IQ of 75, below the average score of 100 but not considered mentally retarded or disabled, either.
Despite this, "the man has been able to lead a life that can be considered normal," said Feuillet. "Even if he has a slight intellectual handicap, this has not hampered his development or building social networks."
Seems that Homer Simpson is not the only one to have egg-sized Brain.
