Porencephaly

Last updated on Tuesday, September 9 2008 by jdmiles

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Schizencephaly, coronal section of brain.
Schizencephaly occur secondarily to total agenesis involving a portion of the germinative zone, resulting in restricted, but bilateral, absence of cerebral cortex and white matter with pial-ependymal fusion.

Schizencephaly, lateral surface of brain.
Schizencephaly typically involves the posterior frontal lobes adjacent to the Sylvian fissure, which is responsible for motor disturbances typically seen in these patients. When schizencephaly is bilateral, seizures and cognitive dysfunction also tend to be present.

Porencephalywith with secondary cortical spinal tract degeneration, sagittal section of cerebrum with transverse sections of brainstem
Porencephaly refers to cavitary infarction involving both gray and white matter, often resulting in pial-ependymal fusion similar to that seen in schizencephaly. Porencephaly tends to be either unilateral or asymmetric, distinguishing this acquired lesion from the malformative schizencephaly.

Bilateral porencephaly, in situ photograph of dorsal surface of brain.
This 65-year-old woman had lifelong left hemiplegia secondary to the right-sided porus, which extended anteriorly into the primary motor cortex.

Porencephaly, right lateral surface of brain.
Continuity of pial and ependymal brain surfaces, surrounded by markedly dysplastic cortical gyri.

Porencephaly, in situ photograph, right lateral surface of brain
Cerebral cortex and white matter have been destroyed with the exception of the most anterior portion of the frontal lobe.