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The most common symptoms of TSC include seizures and developmental delay as well as benign tumors and lesions which can affect virtually every organ system of the body including the brain, kidneys, heart, lungs, eyes and skin.
TSC, which can prove rather difficult to diagnose because of its rarity and the great variety of its symptoms, was first described and named in 1880 by the renowned French neurologist Desire-Magloire Bourneville. Bourneville applied the term "sclerose tubereuse" to the tumors of the brain typical in patients with the disease.
In most instances, symptoms of TSC will be apparent in the first six months of life. Once a diagnosis is made, treatment can begin. While, unfortunately, there is no cure for TSC, effective treatments are available for a variety of the symptoms. Drugs to prevent seizures are accessible to patients, and surgery can often correct skin abnormalities. For other manifestations of TSC, such as developmental delay, special educational and therapeutic programs can moderate these symptoms.
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