Case of the Week #605

Frantisek Grochal
Femicare, Center of prenatal ultrasonographic diagnostics, Martin, Slovakia

Posting Dates: May 15, 2024 - May 30, 2024

A 35-year-old primigravida presented to our office at 20 weeks of gestation for routine second-trimester screening. The following images and videos show an interesting cranial anomaly. 

Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7
Image 8
Video 1 © 2024 Grochal
Video 2 © 2024 Grochal

View the Answer Hide the Answer

Answer

We present a case of Dandy-Walker malformation

Our images revealed following cranial findings:

  • Upwardly rotated hypoplastic cerebellar vermis (brainstem-vermis angle 64,45°,  craniocaudal vermian diameter 5,3 mm, anteroposterior vermian diameter 8,5 mm)
  • High insertion of the tentorium, wide brainstem-tentorium angle (38,78°)
  • Cystic structure within posterior fossa with inferolateral location of the choroid plexuses outside of the cystic structure
  • No other anomalies of the brain were seen

A female infant was delivered at term and the findings were confirmed. At the time of publication, the patient is four months old and doing well. Her neurologic examination was normal. The spectrum of the severity may vary from severe to mild, which is represented by our case.

The differential diagnosis includes other anomalies of the Dandy-Walker spectrum, such as Blake’s pouch cyst or vermian hypoplasia. The above mentioned findings, the inferolateral displacement of the taenia–tela choroidea complex, and choroid plexus distant from the vermis are in favor of Dandy-Walker malformation [1-4].

Upward-rotated hypoplastic cerebellar vermis with cystic structure within posterior fossa, and high insertion of the tentorium
Image 1 Upward-rotated hypoplastic cerebellar vermis with cystic structure within posterior fossa, and high insertion of the tentorium
Upward-rotated hypoplastic cerebellar vermis (brainstem-vermis angle 64,45°,craniocaudal vermian diameter 5,3 mm, anteroposterior vermian diameter 8,5 mm)
Image 2 Upward-rotated hypoplastic cerebellar vermis (brainstem-vermis angle 64,45°,craniocaudal vermian diameter 5,3 mm, anteroposterior vermian diameter 8,5 mm)
Transverse scans showing cystic structure within posterior fossa with inferolateral location of the fourth-ventricle choroid plexus outside the cyst.
Image 3 Transverse scans showing cystic structure within posterior fossa with inferolateral location of the fourth-ventricle choroid plexus outside the cyst.
Coronal 3D view showing cystic structure within posterior fossa with inferolateral location of the fourth-ventricle choroid plexus outside the cyst.
Image 4 Coronal 3D view showing cystic structure within posterior fossa with inferolateral location of the fourth-ventricle choroid plexus outside the cyst.
Coronal 3D view showing cystic structure within posterior fossa with inferolateral location of the fourth-ventricle choroid plexus outside the cyst.
Image 5 Coronal 3D view showing cystic structure within posterior fossa with inferolateral location of the fourth-ventricle choroid plexus outside the cyst.

References:

[1] Volpe P, De Robertis V, Volpe G, et al. Position of the choroid plexus of the fourth ventricle in first- and second-trimester fetuses: a novel approach to early diagnosis of cystic posterior fossa anomalies. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Oct;58(4):568-575. 
[2] Paladini D, Donarini G, Parodi S, Chaoui R. Differentiating features of posterior fossa at 12-13 weeks' gestation in fetuses with Dandy-Walker malformation and Blake's pouch cyst. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Jun;53(6):850-852. 
[3] Whitehead MT, Vezina G, Schlatterer SD, et al. Taenia-tela choroidea complex and choroid plexus location help distinguish Dandy-Walker malformation and Blake pouch cysts. Pediatr Radiol. 2021 Jul;51(8):1457-1470. 
[4] Whitehead MT, Barkovich MJ, Sidpra J, et al. Refining the Neuroimaging Definition of the Dandy-Walker Phenotype. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2022 Oct;43(10):1488-1493. 

Discussion Board

Start a discussion about this case

Winners

Dr. Hitanshu Bhatt Profile Pic

Dr. Hitanshu Bhatt India Physician

Dianna Heidinger Profile Pic

Dianna Heidinger United States Sonographer

Javier Cortejoso Profile Pic

Javier Cortejoso Spain Physician

paola quaresima Profile Pic

paola quaresima Italy Physician

Padmanaban Koochu Govindaraju Profile Pic

Padmanaban Koochu Govindaraju United Kingdom Sonographer

belen garrido Profile Pic

belen garrido Spain Physician

Andrii Averianov Profile Pic

Andrii Averianov Ukraine Physician

Ana Ferrero Profile Pic

Ana Ferrero Spain Physician

Alexandr Krasnov Profile Pic

Alexandr Krasnov Ukraine Physician

Mayank Chowdhury Profile Pic

Mayank Chowdhury India Physician

Ahmed Ezz Profile Pic

Ahmed Ezz United States Physician

Vladimir Lemaire Profile Pic

Vladimir Lemaire United States Physician

Shilpen Gondalia Profile Pic

Shilpen Gondalia India Physician

Tatiana Koipish Profile Pic

Tatiana Koipish Belarus Physician

carlos lopez Profile Pic

carlos lopez Venezuela Physician

CHARLES SARGOUNAME Profile Pic

CHARLES SARGOUNAME India Physician

Aysegul Ozel Profile Pic

Aysegul Ozel Turkey Physician

Anita Silber Profile Pic

Anita Silber Israel Physician

Maria Caterina Corigliano Profile Pic

Maria Caterina Corigliano Italy Physician

Kimberly Delaney Profile Pic

Kimberly Delaney United States Sonographer

Olivia Ionescu Profile Pic

Olivia Ionescu United Kingdom Physician

Marianovella Narcisi Profile Pic

Marianovella Narcisi Italy Physician

Suat İnce Profile Pic

Suat İnce Turkey Physician

Victoria Giang Profile Pic

Victoria Giang Viet Nam Physician

Amparo Gimeno Profile Pic

Amparo Gimeno Spain Physician

Muradiye Yıldırım Profile Pic

Muradiye Yıldırım Turkey Physician

ALBANA CEREKJA Profile Pic

ALBANA CEREKJA Italy Physician

Eti Zetounie Profile Pic

Eti Zetounie Israel Sonographer

Sonio Sonio Profile Pic

Sonio Sonio France AI

gholamreza azizi Profile Pic

gholamreza azizi Iran, Islamic Republic of Physician

Gayane Begjanyan Profile Pic

Gayane Begjanyan Armenia Physician

Ionut Valcea Profile Pic

Ionut Valcea Romania Physician

reyhan ayaz Profile Pic

reyhan ayaz Turkey Physician

Đặng Mai Quỳnh Profile Pic

Đặng Mai Quỳnh Viet Nam Physician

Hien Nguyen Van Profile Pic

Hien Nguyen Van Viet Nam Physician

Kathrine Montagne Profile Pic

Kathrine Montagne United States Sonographer

Kareem Haloub Profile Pic

Kareem Haloub Australia Physician

Zuzana Briešková Profile Pic

Zuzana Briešková Slovakia Physician

Martina Vagaská Profile Pic

Martina Vagaská Slovakia Physician

shruti Agarwal Profile Pic

shruti Agarwal India Physician

Vu The Anh Profile Pic

Vu The Anh Viet Nam Physician

Jay Vaishnav Profile Pic

Jay Vaishnav India Physician

Perrine Riou-Kerangal Profile Pic

Perrine Riou-Kerangal French Polynesia Sage-femme échographiste

Mahmoud Moussa Profile Pic

Mahmoud Moussa United Kingdom Physician

Laura Wharton Profile Pic

Laura Wharton United Kingdom Physician

Anastasija Arechvo Profile Pic

Anastasija Arechvo United Kingdom Physician

zozo sichala Profile Pic

zozo sichala Zambia radiology technologist

Veronika Bartkovjaková Profile Pic

Veronika Bartkovjaková Slovakia Physician

Deniz Delibaş Profile Pic

Deniz Delibaş Turkey Physician

Rupal Sasani Profile Pic

Rupal Sasani India Physician

María Fernanda Rangel Orozco Profile Pic

María Fernanda Rangel Orozco Mexico Physician

SHILPA KISHORE Profile Pic

SHILPA KISHORE India Physician

philip pattyn Profile Pic

philip pattyn Belgium Physician

Nikhila BL Profile Pic

Nikhila BL India Physician

Coskun Umit Profile Pic

Coskun Umit Turkey Physician

Petra Barboríková Profile Pic

Petra Barboríková Slovakia Physician

Carmen de Luis Rodríguez Profile Pic

Carmen de Luis Rodríguez Spain Physician

Nguyễn Lê Hoàng Profile Pic

Nguyễn Lê Hoàng Viet Nam Physician

Le Tien Dung Profile Pic

Le Tien Dung Viet Nam Physician

Tetiana Ishchenko Profile Pic

Tetiana Ishchenko Ukraine Physician

Theodosios Argyroudis Profile Pic

Theodosios Argyroudis Greece Physician

Gaurav Sharma Profile Pic

Gaurav Sharma India Physician

Diondra Lotito Profile Pic

Diondra Lotito United States Sonographer

Elizabeth Smith Profile Pic

Elizabeth Smith United States Sonographer

Eduardo Namura Di Thomaz Profile Pic

Eduardo Namura Di Thomaz Brazil Physician

Le Duc Profile Pic

Le Duc Viet Nam Physician

Erika Zanzarelli Profile Pic

Erika Zanzarelli Italy Physician

Zuzana Rak Profile Pic

Zuzana Rak Slovakia Physician

Aigerim Nukenova Profile Pic

Aigerim Nukenova Kazakhstan Physician

Dr Dhara patel Profile Pic

Dr Dhara patel India Physician

Thomas Gerges Profile Pic

Thomas Gerges Australia Sonographer

Yücel Kaya Profile Pic

Yücel Kaya Turkey Physician

Fernanda Rossi Negrini Jacob Profile Pic

Fernanda Rossi Negrini Jacob Brazil Physician

Dalia Kara Damor Profile Pic

Dalia Kara Damor Syrian Arab Republic Physician

Dr.Dhaval Patoliya Profile Pic

Dr.Dhaval Patoliya India Physician

Gizem A Profile Pic

Gizem A Turkey Physician

Priyanka Chaudhary Profile Pic

Priyanka Chaudhary India Physician

Add bookmark Bookmarked

Menu