A CT scan of the father's brain showed subependymal nodules. Tuberous sclerosis is a complex of hamartomatous changes involving the brain and skin. Frequently, the disorder also involves the heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs. Cortical tubers, or benign potato-like growths, appear along the gyri and sulci in the brain. Occasionally, a tuber blocks the foramen of Monro and causes hydrocephalus.
Subependymal nodules lining the ventricles frequently calcify.
The nodules sometimes can be seen on plain-film radiographs, but they are best demonstrated on CT scans. A radiologically confirmed cortical tuber or calcified subependymal nodule is highly suggestive of tuberous sclerosis. 8 Malignant brain tumors rarely occur in patients with tuberous sclerosis. However, up to 8 percent of patients with the disorder develop subependymal giant cell astrocytomas, typically near the foramen of Monro. The astrocytomas may originate from a subependymal nodule.