Hypothalamic Hamartoma Center
Hypothalamic hamartomas affect children from infancy onward and commonly cause seizures, early puberty, abnormalities in hormonal function and cognitive and behavioral problems. These tumors are most often found during the diagnostic evaluation of patients for epilepsy (particularly gelastic seizures) or early puberty.
Hypothalamic hamartoma patients experience unusual seizures. It is common for the diagnosis to be missed, and effective treatment to be delayed. As a result, the disease may progress, resulting in worsening seizures, developmental delays, emotional deterioration and hormonal disturbances.
Therefore, we feel it is our obligation to educate the community, including healthcare professionals locally and worldwide, so that they will be able to properly diagnose patients with hypothalamic hamartoma. As a rare and challenging disease, we believe that hypothalamic hamartoma patients are best evaluated and treated in centers that specialize in this condition.
The role of the hypothalamus
The hypothalamus is a region of brain anatomy located deep within the brain, just above the base of the skull, on each side of the third ventricle. The main function of the hypothalamus is to regulate complex behaviors such as appetite, thirst, sleep, general arousal and reproductive behaviors. It also plays a role in emotional reactions, including anger and aggression. In other words, the hypothalamus takes care of the many necessary brain functions that occur without us having to think about or plan them.