[Papilloma of the choroid plexus in an infant].

B. S., a fourteen-month old infant, was admitted to hospital under the care of Dr. Smallwood, eleven weeks before death with the complaint of cough since the age of three months. This became worse after measles at the age of six months. The cough was always worse in the morning and had been increasing in severity. The infant had been born at full term and was normal in development. There was no known contact with tuberculosis. Physical and x-ray examination revealed a post-pneumonic fibrosis and bronchiectasis. The child slowly lost weight in the hospital but otherwise appeared well, apart from cough. Eight weeks before death the fontanelle was noticed to be full, and later definitely bulging. There was a slowly increasing hydrocephalus. Vomiting became frequent. Lumbar puncture revealed a blood-stained cerebro-spinal fluid. The left arm and leg moved more than the right. The right plantar response was extensor, the left was flexor. Finally both became extensor. The general condition continued to get worse until the child died suddenly, eleven weeks after admission to the hospital. Examinations of the cerebro-spinal fluid were made frequently. The leucocytes were never increased. The red blood cells varied from 0 to 850 per c.mm., but usually were less than 100. Bio-chemical analysis of the cerebro-spinal fluid revealed normal values for sugar, an-d protein, with a slightly reduced chloride content, varying from 683 to 635 mgm. per cent. Tubercle 'bacilli were searched for by direct examination and guinea-pig inoculation, but none were found. The Wassermann reaction was negative. The red blood cells and leucocytes were normal in number and type. A clinical diagnosis of idiopathic hydrocephalus was made.