Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome in a woman with cerebral palsy and epilepsy

Abstract

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome is a combination of cerebral hemiatrophy with contralateral motor deficit, facial asymmetry, and epileptic seizures. Imaging is key to its diagnosis, and in addition to hemispheric hypoplasia, findings include ex vacuo dilatation of the lateral ventricle, ipsilateral hyperpneumatization of the paranasal sinuses, and hypertrophy of the cranial bones. The majority of cases are described in children with cerebral palsy. In adults, descriptions in the literature are uncommon. This paper presents a clinical case demonstrating the syndrome in a 59-year-old woman with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental retardation with childhood onset, as well as typical findings from brain computed tomography. Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome should be discussed in patients who present with the typical clinical picture, albeit in adulthood. Confirmation should be sought by performing computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.