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Congress: ECR25
Poster Number: C-26580
Type: Poster: EPOS Radiologist (educational)
DOI: 10.26044/ecr2025/C-26580
Authorblock: L. Topuria; Tbilisi/GE
Disclosures:
Lika Topuria: Nothing to disclose
Keywords: CNS, Interventional vascular, Neuroradiology brain, MR, MR-Angiography, MR-Diffusion/Perfusion, Ablation procedures, Angioplasty, Biopsy, Arteriovenous malformations, Embolism / Thrombosis, Grafts
Learning objectives

Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) is a generalised disorder of mesenchymal development that affects both the cerebellum and the overlying meninges. It is characterised by a large posterior fossa (PF) with a high-inserting venous sinus confluence, a large pia-ependyma-lined cyst extending dorsally from the fourth ventricle, and varying degrees of vermian and cerebellar hemispheric hypoplasia.

Fig 1: Transverse sinus, elevated torcular , steeply angled TS , superiorly rotated hypoplastic cerebellar vermis , hydrocephalus.
Due to its overlapping features with other neurological conditions—such as mega cisterna magna, epidermoid cyst, retrocerebellar arachnoid cyst, Blake’s pouch cyst, Joubert anomaly, and isolated fourth ventricle—DWM is often misdiagnosed. This research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Dandy-Walker malformation and emphasises the indispensable role of advanced neuroimaging techniques, particularly MRI, in precisely identifying the disease. Furthermore, it explains the subtypes of Dandy-Walker malformations based on Barkovich’s neuroimaging criteria, distinguishing them from related posterior fossa anomalies and enhancing diagnostic accuracy, which is essential to prevent inappropriate management that could adversely affect patient outcomes. The research concludes with various radiological findings, providing a clear perspective on Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) for radiologists.
Fig 3: . Classic DWM with large PF cyst elevating torcular , superiorly rotated vermian remnant , small pons, dysgenetic corpus callosum.
Fig 4: Autopsy specimen of DWM shows large PF with cyst , hypoplastic rotated vermis , high- inserting torcular . Probe is in aqueduct.
GALLERY