What is a Meningoencephalocele?
Meningoencephalocele is a rare congenital anomaly that is characterized by herniation of brain tissue through a defect in skull. Generally, it could be divided by anatomical location of defect to occipital and frontoethmoidal. The exact etiology of this condition is unknown but many theories have been postulated.
How long can you live with encephalocele?
For children with encephalocele, the survival prob- ability up to 1 day of age was 77.1% [95% CI 68.1, 86.1], whereas the survival probability up to 20 years of age was 67% (Table 3).
Is Cephalocele a neural tube defect?
Encephalocele is a rare type of birth defect of the neural tube that affects the brain. The neural tube is a narrow channel that folds and closes during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy to form the brain and spinal cord.
What is the difference between meningocele and encephalocele?
A Meningocele is like an encephalocele but only contains the cerebrospinal fluid and meninges and the sac protrudes from the spinal column.
What causes Meningoencephalocele?
The exact cause of meningoencephalocele is not known. Some studies have suggested that environmental factors could play a role in causing the condition. Exposure during pregnancy to aflatoxins, toxins produced by a mold that grows in nuts, seeds, and legumes, has been proposed to be a possible cause in some cases.
Is encephalocele serious?
When the neural tube does not close, it can cause a sac-like bulge with brain tissue and spinal fluid that pokes through the skull. An encephalocele can be life-threatening.
Is encephalocele genetic?
Encephaloceles are usually dramatic deformities diagnosed immediately after birth; but occasionally a small encephalocele in the nasal and forehead region can go undetected. There is a genetic component to the condition; it often occurs in families with a history of spina bifida and anencephaly in other family members.
Can encephalocele cause seizures?
Objective: Temporal lobe encephaloceles are characterized by protrusion of brain parenchyma through a structural defect in the floor of the middle fossa. They have been reported to cause cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, conductive hearing loss, meningitis, and seizures.
What causes meningocele adults?
Meningocele results from a developmental failure in the caudal end of the neural tube, resulting in a sac containing cerebrospinal fluid, meninges, and overlying skin.
What does meningocele mean?
A meningocele is a birth defect where there is a sac protruding from the spinal column. The sac includes spinal fluid, but does not contain neural tissue. It may be covered with skin or with meninges (the membranes that cover the central nervous system).