Cortical Malformations

Schizencephaly is a disorder characterized by congenital full-thickness grey matter-lined clefts of the cerebral mantle. Prenatal diagnosis has been reported thus far only for cases with widely open clefts. A variety with pencil-like ("fused") defects exist but this is probably very difficult or impossible to identify antenatally. Cerebral abnormalities are virtually always present and include cortical malformations, white-matter atrophy, callosal anomalies and hippocampal anomalies.

Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders that result from abnormal development of the cerebral cortex in utero secondary to genetic, infectious or vascular causes.