What is an occipital encephalocele?
Occipital encephalocele (OE) are the most common form of this congenital disorder and are manifested as a swelling of different sizes over the occipital bone in the midline. Proper diagnosis and treatment is highly important in the management of this congenital malformation of brain.
Can a baby survive occipital encephalocele?
Babies born with an occipital encephalocele only typically have about a 55% survival rate and can suffer lifelong complications.
How long do babies with encephalocele live?
Fetuses with an encephalocele are likely to die before birth. Approximately 21 percent, or 1 in 5, are born alive. Of those born alive, only 50 percent will survive.
Can a baby survive encephalocele?
Newborns with these defects often don’t survive past infancy. The prognosis for each baby varies based on: The size and location of the encephalocele. The amount and type of brain tissue protruding out into the sac.
What causes occipital encephalocele?
Encephalocele happens when the neural tube does not close completely during pregnancy. The result is an opening anywhere along the center of the skull from the nose to the back of the neck, but most often at the back of the head (pictured), at the top of the head, or between the forehead and the nose.
Why do babies get encephalocele?
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.
Can encephalocele be cured?
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 a brain tumor?
Abstract. 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.
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.