Occipital encephaloceles: case series
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59156/revista.v39i01.675Keywords:
Early medical intervention, Encephalocele, Folic acid, Neural tube defectsAbstract
Background: encephalocele is a rare congenital neural tube defect characterized by the protrusion of intracranial content through a bony and dural defect in the skull. This malformation accounts for 10-20% of all neural tube defects, with an incidence of 1-4 per 10,000 live births.
Objectives: to present a case series of occipital encephalocele in neonates, describing clinical features, surgical treatment, and postoperative outcomes.
Case description: three neonatal patients with occipital encephalocele were included. Diagnosis was confirmed using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Etiology was predominantly congenital, associated with maternal risk factors such as high-risk pregnancies and infectious diseases.
Surgery: early surgical intervention was performed in all cases, including encephalic sac resection and dura mater repair using duroplasty and Z-plasty techniques.
Conclusions: early intervention and multidisciplinary management are critical to minimizing complications and improving neurological outcomes in neonates with encephalocele. Preconception folic acid supplementation is recommended as an effective preventive measure to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects.
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