Dandy-Walker Syndrome Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Symptoms of Dandy-Walker syndrome often occur in infancy, but can also occur in older children. Eighty percent of cases are diagnosed within the first year of life. Symptoms may include:

• Impaired development of normal speech and language
• Slow motor development
• Irritability
• Vomiting
• Convulsions
• Unsteadiness
• Lack of muscle coordination
• Jerky eye movements
• Increased head circumference
• Bulging of the back of the skull
• Problems with the nerves that control the eyes, face, and neck
• Abnormal breathing

Children with this condition may have problems with other organs, including heart malformations, kidney and urinary tract abnormalities, cleft lip , and extra digits.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam. He will also likely do a CT or MRI scan to view the inside of the brain.