Cortical dysplasia Focal cortical dysplasia 2018-09-16T10:55:37Z Focal cortical dysplasia is one of the most common entities associated with refractory epilepsy, especially in childhood. A type of malformation of cortical development that primarily affects areas of neocortex. It can be identified on conventional magnetic resonance imaging as focal cortical thickening, abnormal gyration, and blurring between gray and white matter, often associated with clusters of heterotopic neurons.