Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
The recognition of cerebellar anomalies, with the advent of neuro-imaging, has greatly improved, it present a wide variety of clinical and radiological Imaging findings.
OBJECTIVE:
1. To describe the spectrum of cerebellar anomalies by MRI .
2. To correlate with clinical presentation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Sixty six patients(22Females, 44 Males) with the diagnosis of some form of cerebellar malformations, were included in this study, in the Central Teaching Hospital of Pediatrics in Baghdad over 18 months from July 2103 through December 2104. They were arranged for complete clinical and neuro-radiological evaluation. Age ranging from over 1month --- 15 years.
RESULTS:
Twenty nine patients ( 43.9 % ) had vermian hypoplasia, ranging from mild to moderate , cerebellar hypoplasia( 19) patients ( 28.7 % ) ,combined anomalies in 16 patients (24.4%)and 2 patients (3 %) with cystic dilatation of the posterior fossa.The bulk of cases fall in the category of 1-- 5 years age group, with the major clinical presentation being motor and speech deficits, 28 ( 80 % ) and 27 (77.1 % ) patients respectively.
CONCLUSION:
Magnetic resonance imaging is the basic modality of choice, in the setting of cerebellar malformation, especially in the association of extreme variability of clinical presentation, and lack of easy availability of the required cytogenetic analysis