What is Encephalocele?
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. This should happen when the baby’s brain, nervous system and skull are first starting to form. 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. How serious it is, the treatment and the baby’s chance of living depend on where it is on the skull. Babies with an encephalocele often have chromosome, brain and facial problems as well. While scientists do not know what causes encephaloceles, there is proof that women who eat a lot of foods with folic acid (Vitamin B9) when they are pregnant are less likely to have a baby with the condition. Certain types of encephaloceles are also more common in women with diabetes.
How is Encephalocele Diagnosed?
Encephalocele is usually found during a prenatal ultrasound. If your doctor suspects your baby may have an encephalocele, you may have more tests that can provide information to help you and your doctors know what to expect when your baby is born. These tests may include:
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Encephalocele?
Once in a while, the condition is only discovered later in childhood, once a child starts to have physical or mental delays.
What are the Different Types and Locations of Encephaloceles?
Size, location and type of the encephalocele can greatly impact if the baby lives. It can also affect treatment options and physical and mental development.
What is the most common place for encephaloceles?
Occipital (at the back of the head). This is the most common place for encephalocele among babies born in the United States. This type of encephalocele is more common in girls. The outcome for these babies is poor. Fetal deaths and stillbirths are common. Those that live with occipital encephaloceles often have more problems, including delays in development, problems seeing, balance and coordination problems, hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) and seizures
What is the condition where the neural tube does not close?
Encephalocele is a rare congenital condition where the neural tube does not close and causes a sac-like bulge with brain tissue and spinal fluid that pokes through the skull.
Why do doctors recommend genetic counseling?
Your doctor may recommend genetic counseling to discuss risks for a future pregnancy because encephalocele can be related to inherited disorders.
What is an encephalocele ultrasound?
Ultrasound images of the fetus can reveal the presence of a herniated, fluid-filled sac outside the skull. Encephaloceles that go undetected during gestation usually are diagnosed at birth by observation of the deformity. Disorders associated with an encephalocele.
What is the treatment for encephaloceles?
The treatment for an encephalocele is surgery. At UPMC, the preferred surgical treatment for encephaloceles of the skull base is the Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA). This innovative, minimally invasive technique uses the nose and nasal cavities as natural corridors to access hard-to-reach or previously inoperable tumors.
How to diagnose encephaloceles?
Doctors typically can diagnose encephaloceles during a prenatal ultrasound or at birth. The prognosis for this condition depends on the location of the sac and its contents. The outlook is most favorable when the sac does not contain any functional neural tissue. The treatment for an encephalocele is surgery.
How long can encephaloceles stay in the nasal cavity?
In rare cases, a small encephalocele in the nasal cavity can remain undetected for years, even into adulthood.
How does EEA work?
This state-of-the-art, minimally invasive approach allows surgeons to access the tumor through the natural corridor of the nose, without making an open incision. Surgeons then remove the encephalocele through the nose and nasal cavities. EE A offers the benefits of no incisions to heal, no disfigurement, and a faster recovery time.
What is the goal of surgery for encephalocele?
However, if healthy neural tissue is present in the sac, one of the goals of surgery is to preserve it . The surgical approach depends on the location and contents of the encephalocele. If the sac does not contain vital nervous tissue, surgeons simply remove the encephalocele and repair the opening in the skull. Minimally invasive surgery.
What is an encephalocele?
What is Encephalocele? An encephalocele is defined as a very rare birth defect in which nervous tissue protrudes through openings in the skull. This forms a skin-covered sac outside the skull. Less frequently, only a thin membrane covers the sac, increasing its vulnerability.
