Home > Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders > Porencephaly

Definition

Porencephaly is a rare condition in which fluid-filled hollows or cavities develop on the surface of the brain. These cavities usually form at sites where damage has been caused by infection, loss of blood flow, or stroke during brain development, but may also be genetic in origin. Equivalent terms are cerebral porosis, perencephaly, porencephalia, and (no longer in favor) polyporencephaly. The prefix "por" comes from the Latin porus, for hole or cavity.

Description

In porencephaly, large dimples, craters, or clefts develop on the surface of the brain. These cavities or cysts are filled with fluid and lined with smooth tissue. They are usually caused by injuries to the fetal or newborn brain before full development of the convolutions or gyri (singular gyrus) on the surface of the cerebrum, especially by infection,...