Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Enlarged fetal cisterna magna

HP:0011427

What it means

The cisterna magna is measured on a transaxial view of the fetal head angled 15 degrees caudal to the canthomeatal line. The anterior/posterior diameter is taken between the inferior/posterior surface of the vermis of the cerebellum to the inner surface of the cranium. An enlarged cisternal magna is defined by an anterior/posterior diameter of 10 mm or more (PMID:16100637).

Rare diseases that can present with this2

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Enlarged foetal cisterna magna

Enlarged fetal cisterna magna

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.