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Porencephaly Reviewed 06-11-2002 Get Web page suited for printing Email this to a friend or colleague Table of Contents (click to jump to sections) What is Porencephaly?Is there any treatment? What is the prognosis? What research is being done? Organizations Related NINDS Publications and Information What is Porencephaly? Porencephaly is an extremely rare disorder of the central nervous system involving cysts or cavities in a cerebral hemisphere. The cysts or cavities are usually the remnants of destructive lesions (due to stroke or infection), but are sometimes the result of abnormal development. The disorder can occur before or after birth. Most infants show symptoms of the disorder shortly after birth. Diagnosis is usually made before age 1. Signs may include delayed growth and development, spastic hemiplegia (slight or incomplete paralysis), hypotonia (low muscle tone), seizures (often infantile spasms), and macrocephaly (large head) or microcephaly (small head). Individuals with porencephaly may have poor or absent speech development, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, spastic contractures (shrinkage or shortening of a muscle), and mental retardation. Is there any treatment? What is the prognosis? What research is being done? March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD) Related NINDS Publications and Information
NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient's medical history. All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated. Provided by: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
