
the dandy-walker syndrome
the dandy-walker syndrome is a specific
morbid entity in which the fourth ventricle
is grossly dilated and there is a congenital
malformation of the cerebellar vermis.  it is
nearly always associated with atresia of the
foramen of magendie, and in many cases with
atresia of the foramina of luschka also.  the
lateral and third ventricles are usually dilated.
figure 1 illustrates a specimen of the condition.
most cases present in infancy, but others are
discovered in childhood and in adult life.  the
oldest patient recorded to have had this anomaly
was aged 59 years.  the first recognized case
was published by dandy and blackfen in 1914,
but the best early description of the condition
is that of taggart and walker (1944), who
concluded that the cerebellar lesions were
consequent upon the atresia of the foramen of
magendie.  in 1954 benda proposed the term
"dandy-walker syndrome".
