Imaging of Congenital Malformations of the Brain

Laura Z Fenton1

  • 1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, Box 125, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.

Clinics in Perinatology
|September 16, 2022
PubMed

Insights

This review details brain malformations occurring during early gestation, categorized by developmental timing. It highlights neuroimaging findings for disorders of dorsal and ventral induction, and neuronal migration/proliferation.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging
  • Embryology

Background:

  • Brain formation is a complex developmental process.
  • Disorders can arise at various gestational stages.
  • Malformations impact neurological development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review brain malformations based on developmental timing.
  • To highlight neuroimaging characteristics of these disorders.
  • To provide a comprehensive overview for researchers and clinicians.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of developmental brain disorders.
  • Categorization by gestational timing of occurrence.
  • Focus on neuroimaging findings.

Main Results:

  • Disorders of dorsal induction (1st month): anencephaly, cephalocele.
  • Disorders of ventral induction (2nd month): holoprosencephaly spectrum, septo-optic dysplasia spectrum.
  • Disorders of neuronal migration/proliferation (weeks 8-25): lissencephaly, polymicrogyria, schizencephaly, gray matter heterotopia, corpus callosal dysgenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Brain malformations are temporally linked to specific developmental events.
  • Neuroimaging is crucial for diagnosing and understanding these conditions.
  • Understanding developmental timing aids in classifying and studying brain malformations.

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