Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 13, Issue 8 607-611, Copyright © 1994 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Cerebellar vermian defects: antenatal sonographic appearance and clinical significance
M. T. Keogan, A. B. DeAtkine and B. S. Hertzberg
Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
A partial or complete defect of the cerebellar vermis may occur
sporadically or as a component of the Dandy-Walker syndrome, the
Dandy-Walker variant, Down's syndrome, or Joubert-syndrome. We identified a
defect of the cerebellar vermis in nine fetuses on routine antenatal
sonographic studies. In five of the nine fetuses other abnormalities,
including central nervous system and non-central nervous system lesions
were identified. Three of these five fetuses died and two infants have
remained well on follow-up. Four of nine fetuses (or infants) had no other
abnormalities and have remained well on follow-up at 8 weeks to 4 years of
age. Although cases of fatal and serious nonfatal outcomes have been
reported by other investigators, in this small series the finding of an
isolated inferior vermian defect was associated with a good prognosis.
