Sturge-Weber syndrome is a neurocutaneous disorder with skin, eye, and brain involvement. Prior series suggest about 50% of patients have seizures/neurodeterioration. Low-dose (3-5 mg/kg/d) aspirin use in this population is controversial. This study further addresses the side effects and outcomes of low-dose aspirin usage in Sturge-Weber syndrome. Fifty-eight subjects on aspirin with brain involvement were analyzed in a retrospective chart review. Charts were evaluated for brain involvement, age at first seizure, and side effects. Subjects' clinical stability was compared using neurologic scores. The majority of subjects had neurologic scores reflecting reasonable seizure control (91%), none or mild hemiparesis (57%), no vision impairment (71%), and none or mild cognitive impairment (80%). Forty-nine reported no significant side effects, and 9 reported either allergic reaction or minimal to significant bleeding on aspirin. This cohort's clinical experience adds significant support for low-dose aspirin use to optimize neurodevelopmental outcome in Sturge-Weber syndrome with minimal side effects.

The present study examined the intellectual and adaptive functioning in a sample of children and young adults with Sturge-Weber Syndrome. A total of 80 research participants from a SWS study database underwent full neurological evaluation as part of their participation or concurrent medical care. Twenty-nine of the participants received neuropsychological evaluations. Analyses indicated no significant demographic or neurological differences between those who did and did not receive neuropsychological evaluations. Overall, the neuropsychological evaluation sample displayed significantly lower functioning relative to published normative data across domains of intellectual and adaptive functioning. 32% of the sample displayed impaired performance (standard score ≤ 75) in intellectual functioning and 58% displayed impaired performance in adaptive functioning. Hemiparesis status independently predicted overall adaptive functioning while seizure frequency independently predicted overall intellectual functioning. Younger participants displayed significantly higher (more intact) ratings in adaptive functioning compared to older participants, specifically in overall adaptive functioning, motor skills, and community living skills. A composite measure of neurological status (SWS-NRS) incorporating seizure and hemiparesis status effectively distinguished between individuals with impaired or non-impaired adaptive and intellectual functioning, and showed promise as a screening method for identifying individuals with more involved intellectual and/or adaptive needs.

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BACKGROUND The reproducibility of transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound measurements in Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) and TCD’s ability to predict neurologic progression is unknown. METHODS In fourteen SWS patients, TCD measured mean flow velocity, pulsatility index, peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV) in the middle (MCA), posterior (PCA) and anterior cerebral arteries (ACA) of the affected and unaffected hemisphere. TCD was performed either once (n=5) or twice in one day (n=9). We assessed the reproducibility of the measurements performed twice on the same day on subjects and compared the TCD measurements to previously published age-matched controls. Clinically obtained neuroimaging was scored for extent and severity of SWS brain involvement. Patients were prospectively assigned SWS neuroscores. RESULTS MCA velocity (r=0.79, p=0.04, n=7), PCA velocity (r=0.90, p=0.04, n=5), and ACA pulsatility index (r=0.82, p=0.02, n=7) were reproducible TCD measurements comparing same-day percent side-to-side differences. In subjects with SWS, affected and unaffected mean PSV and EDV velocities in the MCA, PCA, and ACA were globally lower compared to age-matched controls. Subjects with the lowest affected MCA velocity had the greatest worsening in total neurologic score between time 1 and 2 (r=−0.73, p=0.04, n=8) and the most severe MRI involvement of the affected frontal lobe (r=−0.82, p=0.007, n=9). CONCLUSIONS TCD is suggested as a reliable measure with potential clinical value, indicating blood flow may be globally decreased in SWS patients with unilateral brain involvement.