Treatment for lissencephaly is symptomatic, depending on the nature and severity of the brain malformations. Supportive care and nursing may be needed. Medication may be prescribed to control seizures. A shunt may be required to control hydrocephalus. Where swallowing is a problem, a gastrostomy tube may be necessary.
Prognosis typically varies according to the degree of brain malformation.
Many lissencephalic children die of respiratory problems before age 2. Back to Top Megalencephaly Also known as macrencephaly, this condition is marked by an abnormally large, heavy, usually malfunctioning brain. The head may be enlarged at birth or become abnormally large in the early years. Megalencephaly is thought to be caused by some disturbance in the process which controls the way nerve cells divide to form new generations of cells. Males are more likely to be afflicted than females.