[Schizencephaly: report of one case].

This article presents a 4-year-old boy who suffered from weakness of the right extremities since birth. Physical examination revealed mild mental retardation and right spastic hemiplegia. No seizures were noted. A brain CT scan showed bilateral clefts along Sylvian fissures, more marked on the left side, which communicated with the lateral ventricle. The septum pellucidum was absent. There was an evident squaring of the frontal horns. The CT findings were consistent with the diagnosis of schizencephaly. When a patient with mental retardation and spastic hemiplegia or diplegia fails to show a history of perinatal cerebral insult, the possibility of schizencephaly should be considered. In that case, a brain CT scan is a rapid and accurate diagnostic tool.