Fetal schizencephaly refers to schizencephaly diagnosed in utero. Usually only open lips types can be diagnosed antenatally.
Radiographic features
Antenatal ultrasound
- may show a unilateral or bilateral defect extending from the pial surface to the ventricular wall
- there may be other features such as
- absent cavum septum pellucidum
- occasional fetal hydrocephalus
Fetal MRI
- fetal MRI is performed to confirm the cleft is grey matter lined which distinguishes this entity from porencephalic cyst
- it is more sensitive at detecting close lip schizencephaly than ultrasound
- it is also useful to confirm the presence of associated anomalies
Practical points
Similar abnormalities in the posterior fossa are called cerebellar clefts and may occur simultaneously with fetal schizencephaly.
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