Malformations of cortical development (MCD) are a group of congenital disorders characterized by structural abnormalities in the brain cortex. The clinical manifestations include refractory epilepsy, mental retardation, and cognitive impairment.… Click to show full abstract
Malformations of cortical development (MCD) are a group of congenital disorders characterized by structural abnormalities in the brain cortex. The clinical manifestations include refractory epilepsy, mental retardation, and cognitive impairment. Genetic factors play a key role in the etiology of MCD. Currently, there is no curative treatment for MCD. Phenotypes such as epilepsy and cerebral palsy cannot be observed in the fetus. Therefore, the diagnosis of MCD is typically based on fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, or genetic testing. The recent advances in neuroimaging have enabled the ināutero diagnosis of MCD using fetal ultrasound or MRI.
               
Click one of the above tabs to view related content.