meningocele

Definition: A meingocele is a type of spina bifida in which the spinal cord develops normally but the meninges protrude from a spinal opening. It is a saccular herniation of meninges and cerebrospinal fluid through a bony defect of the spine.

Types

Localization

 cranial meningocele

• occipital meningocele

 thoracic meningocele
 lumbosacral meningocele
 lumbar meningocele
 thoracolumbar meningocele
 sacral meningocele
 anterior sacral meningocele

• sacral defect with anterior meningocele (SDAM)
  • caudal dysgenesis

 panspinal meningocele

Associations

 hydrocephalus
 Arnold-CHiari malformation
 cloacal dysgenesis
 anomalies of neuronal migration

• cerebral dysplasia
• cerebellar dysplasia
• polymicrogyria

 spinal cord malformations

• syringomyelia
• syringobulbia
• hydromyelia
• diastematomyelia
• double or multiple central canal
• diplomyylia
• tethered cord

 triploidy
 trisomy 18
 caudal regression syndrome
 TRAP syndrome (twin reversed arterial perfusion)
 Knobloch syndrome

See also

 neural tube defects (NTDs)

• encephalocele
• myelomeningocele