Congenital Externally Communicating Porencephaly Presenting as Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: Imaging Study of a Rare Condition.

Abstract

Congenital porencephaly is a very rare condition characterized by cystic degeneration encephalomalacia and cysts or cavities within the brain. Porencephalic cysts have a variable size and site and therefore it result in a variable clinical presentations including asymptomatic, various forms of cerebral palsy, seizures and cognitive impairment. The disorder is heterogeneous in nature and the brain lesions can be caused by developmental abnormalities, infection, perinatal brain ischemia, trauma and hemorrhage. Genetic factors have been suggested and familial cases have been reported. Congenital porencephaly is generally classified into, internally communicating with the ventricle and externally communicating with the subarachnoid space. The aim of this paper is to report the rare finding of externally communicating porencephaly in a child with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.