Psychosis and Dandy-Walker syndrome:a case report and review of the literature

摘要

Dandy-Walker syndrome(DWS)is a group of brain malformations which sometimes present with psychotic symptoms.We present the case of a patient diagnosed with Dandy-Walker variant who presented with schizophrenia-like psychosis.A man in his 30s was admitted to an acute psychiatric unit presenting with persecutory delusions,auditory hallucinations and violent behaviour.The MRI performed showed the typical alterations of Dandy-Walker variant:vermian hypoplasia and cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle.He also suffered from mild intellectual disability.After being treated with olanzapine 10 mg/d for a month,his psychotic symptoms greatly improved and he was discharged.In conclusion,DWS may cause psychosis through a dysfunction in the circuit connecting prefrontal,thalamic and cerebellar areas.The association between these two conditions may contribute to the understanding of the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenia.