Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Fall 2012 - (Page 6)

e malformation in Antonina Ruriani’s brain is now in the process of disintegrating, thanks to a surgery technique. She is pictured here with her dog Nutella. Girl’s Friend Best A new surgery technique allows Antonina Ruriani to get back to being a little girl. Antonina Ruriani is a sweet, animal-loving 8-year-old. The youngest of four, she was born with big brown eyes, an innocent smile and unbeknownst to her parents, an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) on the stem of her brain. No one could have predicted she would Eric Trumble, be in and out of doctors’ o ces MD, Pediatric beginning at 10 months of age. Neurosurgery AVMs are an abnormal tangle of blood vessels that form before birth and are considered relatively rare, occurring only once in every 500 births. AVMs can occur anywhere in the body, though most form in the brain. THE DANGERS OF AVM Normally, arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain, and veins carry oxygen-depleted blood away from the brain and back to the heart and lungs. When an AVM occurs, a tangle of blood vessels in the brain or on its surface bypasses normal brain tissue and directly diverts blood from the arteries to the veins. Arteries and veins in an AVM can rupture, causing bleeding into the brain. AVMs also can cause seizures, headaches or noise in the ear. AVMs often are detected on a brain-imaging study performed for symptoms unrelated to the mass. ONE DIAGNOSIS LEADS TO ANOTHER At 10 months, Antonina’s parents, Rosanne and Tommy, noticed her head appeared enlarged and swollen. After seeing a specialist, they learned she su ered from hydrocephalus — commonly referred to as water on the brain — where excess cerebrospinal ﬂuid doesn’t drain properly and leads to swelling. Antonina’s doctors implanted a shunt, which drained the excess ﬂuid from her brain to her abdomen, where it was absorbed. Two months later, when she was a year old, she received a second shunt when the ﬁrst device became clogged. Every six months, Antonina underwent MRIs to make sure her shunt worked properly. When she turned 3, her family moved from New York to Orlando. Her Long Island physician suggested she see Eric Trumble, MD, pediatric neurosurgeon and director of congenital neurosurgery at Florida Hospital for Children. At 3 years old, Antonina began seeing Dr. Trumble. Three years later, when Dr. Trumble performed a routine check on her hydrocephalus, he discovered an AVM on the stem of Antonina’s brain. HEALTHY 00tips Animals are a blessing from nature that can enhance our well-being in numerous ways; they give unconditional love, social dimension and activity. PUPPY LOVE 6 For questions or to RSVP to events, call (407) 303-BEST (2378).

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Fall 2012

Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Fall 2012
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Cochlear implant helps little girl hear mom’s voice again
Record-holding water ski jumper cuts a path to recovery
Small Wonders

Florida Hospital Best in Care: Women and Children - Fall 2012