What is it?

Dandy-Walker Syndrome (DWS), or Dandy Walker malformation is a rare congenital malformation which occurs during the embryonic development. In this condition, the cerebellar vermis- which connects both cerebellar hemispheres is not fully formed, causing enlargement of the base of the skull, the posterior fossa. Sometimes, it can cause hydrocephalus because of the blockage of cerebrospinal fluid drainage . DWS is sometimes in comorbidity with other genetic conditions, therefore it is important to look for heart defects, eye abnormalities, other brain defects such as agenesis of corpus callosum and malformation in bones, kidneys and genitalia. DWS is caused by a impatired cell migration during embryonic period, and in some cases a chromosomal genetic condition is found.