A destructive hemispheric cleft discovered in a female fetus

The case of a female fetus who died at the 38th week of gestation is reported. Neuropathological examination disclosed a hemispheric cleft located in the medial part of the left frontal lobe. The cleft did not extend to the ventricle and was not a true schizencephaly. Furthermore, a focus of gliosis was evidenced by GFAP staining located in the superior bank of the cleft suggesting a destructive origin of the process. Maternal psychological stress occurring during the middle of the pregnancy could have favored hemodynamic disturbances acting on the fetal circulation.