Dandy-Walker continuum
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Di Muzio B, Campos A, Knipe H, et al. Dandy-Walker continuum. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 28 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-38193
rID:
38193
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Bruno Di Muzio had no recorded disclosures.
View Bruno Di Muzio's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Arlene Campos had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Arlene Campos's current disclosures
Revisions:
15 times, by
11 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Synonyms:
- Dandy Walker complex
- Dandy Walker spectrum
- Dandy Walker malformation complex
- Dandy-Walker continuum
- Dandy-Walker spectrum
- Dandy-Walker complex
- Dandy Walker malformation spectrum
- Dandy Walker malformation continuum
Dandy-Walker continuum, also referred to as Dandy-Walker spectrum or Dandy-Walker complex, corresponds to a group of disorders believed to represent a continuum spectrum of posterior fossa malformations, characterized by inferior vermian hypoplasia and incomplete formation of the fourth ventricle which communicates with a prominent posterior fossa CSF space 4.
These conditions are poorly understood, and the terminology is used variably, so a more detailed anatomic description is recommended for clarity 2.
Two systematic reviews have suggested that the risk of abnormal postnatal functional outcome is high in Dandy-Walker malformation and low in Blake’s pouch cyst 5.
Conditions classically included under the term Dandy-Walker continuum include:
Dandy-Walker malformation (“classic”)
isolated inferior vermian hypoplasia (historically called Dandy-Walker variant)
References
- 1. Patel S, Barkovich AJ. Analysis and classification of cerebellar malformations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2002;23 (7): 1074-87. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol (full text) - Pubmed citation
- 2. Bosemani T, Orman G, Boltshauser E et-al. Congenital abnormalities of the posterior fossa. Radiographics. 2015;35 (1): 200-20. doi:10.1148/rg.351140038 - Pubmed citation
- 3. Kollias S, Ball W, Prenger E. Cystic Malformations of the Posterior Fossa: Differential Diagnosis Clarified Through Embryologic Analysis. Radiographics. 1993;13(6):1211-31. doi:10.1148/radiographics.13.6.8031352 - Pubmed
- 4. Choudhri A, Cohen H, Siddiqui A, Pande V, Blitz A. Twenty-Five Diagnoses on Midline Images of the Brain: From Fetus to Child to Adult. Radiographics. 2018;38(1):218-35. doi:10.1148/rg.2018170019 - Pubmed
- 5. Anja Wüest, Daniel Surbek, Roland Wiest, Christian Weisstanner, Harald Bonel, Maja Steinlin, Luigi Raio, Boris Tutschek. Enlarged posterior fossa on prenatal imaging: differential diagnosis, associated anomalies and postnatal outcome. (2017) Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 96 (7): 837. doi:10.1111/aogs.13131 - Pubmed
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Articles:
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- Fetal MRI
- Classification system for malformations of the cerebellum
- Syrinx
- Vermis
- Blake's pouch cyst
- Enlarged posterior fossa 'CSF' space
- Vermian maturity assessment (approach)
- Coffin-Siris syndrome
- Dandy-Walker malformation
- Fourth ventriculocoele
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