Variant...diagnosed at 30 weeks gestation

[trezur]

I am seeking any prognostic information and insight regarding a recent diagnosis of Dandy Walker Variant.  Specifically, after an episode of pre-term labor at 30 weeks gestation, an ultrasound revealed a concern over lack of the vermis and direct communication between the 4th ventricle and the cistern magna.  We have just had the level 3/genetic sono, and the complete diagnosis is in fact only a partial agenesis of the vermis, specifically the inferior vermis.  The cistern magna is mildy enlarged at 13mm.  Everything else in the neurological evaluation is entirely normal and without other suspicious findings.  Further, the remainder of the fetal anatomic survey is also entirely normal.

Thank you in advance for any and all help regarding this.  Meaningful information appears to be very hard to come by.  Thanks again.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

There was a study done at Harvard from the journal "Prenatal Diagnosis" in Apr 2000 in which they looked at 99 patients who had been found to have dandy walker (50 pts) or dandy walker variant (49 pts) and followed them after delivery.  Of the 49 patients with the variant, 85% had other abnormalities detected on the ultrasound which included heart defects and enlarged ventricles among others, but 15% were otherwise normal according to the prenatal ultrasound like your child (just assumed it was your child, sorry if it's not). Of these 49 children with the variant, 13 survived and 7 were actually thought to be completely normal at birth.  The take home message was this: overall, it's not a good prognosis if there's cerebellar abnormalities seen on prenatal ultrasound.  But if there are no other abnormalities, there's an increased chance that the child will be normal in the neonatal period.  As for the longterm outcome, only time will tell.  I wish you all the best.