Dandy-Walker variant: a diagnosis by clinical and CT evaluation in a tertiary hospital in Nepal

Abstract

Dandy-Walker variant (DWV) has been used to describe a combination of cystic dilation of the fourth ventricle and hypoplastic cerebellar vermis in the absence of an enlargement of the posterior fossa. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for diagnosing DWV. But it can also be diagnosed by evaluating the subject clinically and by CT scans. We presented here a case report of a patient with DWV who was diagnosed by clinical evaluation and CT scans. A 15 years old girl presented with the symptoms of pain and ear discharge from both ears. She had developmental delay, mental retardation and poor nutritional status. The CT scan of the patient showed a posterior fossa cyst with hypoplastic vermis and communicating hydrocephalus without obvious enlargement of the posterior fossa. Hence, a diagnosis of DWV was made. For the ear pathology, she underwent modified radical mastoidectomy and other medical treatments.