Treatment. Encephalocele is treated with
surgery to place the protruding part of the brain and the membranes covering it back into the skull and close the opening in the skull
. However, neurologic problems caused by the encephalocele will still be present.
Can a baby survive encephalocele?
Babies with an encephalocele at the back of the head have
a 55 percent survival rate
. Long-term prognosis for survival becomes less likely if there are other complications, such as associated defects or syndromes or if brain tissue protrudes into the sac.
Is an encephalocele a tumor?
Encephaloceles arise
from developmental defects in neural tube formation
. These lesions contain brain and meninges which herniate through a defect in the skull. These may present as isolated malformations or rarely be associated with brain tumors.
How is encephalocele diagnosed?
Most encephaloceles are diagnosed
on a routine prenatal ultrasound
or seen right away when a baby is born. In some cases, small encephaloceles may initially go unnoticed. These encephaloceles are usually located near the baby’s nose or forehead.
Can encephalocele be removed?
Treatment options
Encephalocele treatment includes removing the tumor or herniated sac and repairing the skull opening. Depending on the size and covering of the encephalocele,
surgery may be postponed
until the child is older. Surgery also depends on the location and contents of the sac.
Is encephalocele curable?
Treatment. Encephalocele is treated with
surgery
to place the protruding part of the brain and the membranes covering it back into the skull and close the opening in the skull. However, neurologic problems caused by the encephalocele will still be present. Long-term treatment depends on the child’s condition.
Is encephalocele serious?
Encephalocele is
a rare, severe birth defect
in which a portion of the baby’s brain protrudes out of a hole in the skull. The brain tissue is typically covered by a thin membrane, creating a sac-like protrusion.
How early can encephalocele be detected?
Usually encephaloceles are visible deformities and are diagnosed immediately after birth. Occasionally, a small encephalocele in the nasal or forehead region can go undetected. Sometimes encephaloceles are detected during a routine prenatal ultrasound, at as
early as 13 weeks’ gestation
.
When does an encephalocele form?
Encephalocele (pronounced en-sef-a-lo-seal) is a rare condition that happens before birth (congenital). Normally, the brain and spinal cord form
during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy
. They are formed out of the neural tube. Most encephaloceles happen when the neural tube does not fully close.
What does Exencephaly mean?
Exencephaly is
a rare malformation of the neural tube with a large amount of protruding brain tissue and absence of calvarium
. It is considered to be an embryological precursor of anencephaly where the facial structures and the base of brain are always present. Most cases are stillborn.
Can encephalocele be misdiagnosed?
This case highlights the uncommon site of anterior
encephalocele
; misdiagnosis and mismanagement of which could result in dreaded complications such as meningitis and cerebrospinal fluid leaking fistula formation.
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 Iniencephaly?
Iniencephaly is a rare birth defect caused
by improper closure of the neural tube (the part of a human embryo that becomes the brain and spinal cord)
during fetal development.
Is encephalocele hereditary?
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.
What are the 3 types of spina bifida?
- Myelomeningocele (sounds like: my-low-ma-nin-jo-seal; hear how “myelomeningocele” sounds ) …
- Meningocele (sounds like: ma-nin-jo-seal; hear how “meningocele” sounds ) …
- Spina Bifida Occulta (sounds like: o-cult-tuh; hear how “occulta” sounds )
What happens if neural tube closure fails Cranially?
Anencephaly
is a fatal condition in which the upper end of the neural tube fails to close. In these cases, the brain either never completely develops or is totally absent. Pregnancies affected by anencephaly often result in miscarriages.
