Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome

Dr Jeremy Jones and Dr Mai-Lan Ho et al.

Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome (DDMS) was initially described as changes in the skull seen on skull X-ray in patients with cerebral hemiatrophy, but is now applied more broadly to cross-sectional imaging also. It is characterised by :

thickening of the skull vault (compensatory)

enlargement of the frontal sinus (also ethmoidal and mastoid air-cells)

elevation of the petrous ridge

ipsilateral falcine displacement

Capillary malformations(are a novel finding for children with Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome)6

In some sources it is equated to hemispheric infarction, whereas in other sources any cause of cerebral hemiatrophy are included.

Clinical presentation

seizures

facial asymmetry

contralateral hemiparesis

mental retardation7

Etymology

It was initially described by C.G Dyke , L.M Davidoff and C.B Masson in 1933 5

Differential diagnosis

General imaging differential considerations include

hemimegalencephaly

Sturge-Weber syndrome - can also be an association

Rasmussen encephalitis - tends not to have calvarial changes