Encephalomeningocele cases over 10 years in Thailand: a case series

Sitthiporn Agthong¹ and Viroj Wiwanitkit²

¹Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Thailand 10330

²Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Thailand 10330

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BMC Neurology 2002, 2:3doi:10.1186/1471-2377-2-3


Published:	13 May 2002

Abstract

Background

Encephalomeningocele, especially in the frontoethmoidal region, is a form of neural tube defect which affects patients in Southeast Asia more commonly than in Western countries. Its underlying cause is not known but teratogenic environmental agents are suspected. However, nutritional deficiency, as in spina bifida, cannot be excluded.

Methods

This study reports 21 cases of meningocele (without brain tissue in the lesion) and encephalomeningocele (with brain tissue) that were admitted to our hospital for surgical corrections in the period of ten years, from 1990 to 1999. Clinicopathological findings, as well as occupations of family members and prenatal exposures to infectious agents or chemicals were reviewed and analyzed.

Results

The most commonly involved area was the frontoethmoidal region, found in 20 cases. The combined pattern between nasoethmoidal and nasoorbital defects was found most frequently (11 from 21 cases) and had more associated abnormalities. Encephalomeningocele had more related abnormalities than meningocele with proportions of 0.6 and 0.3, respectively.

Conclusions

Here, we confirmed that genetic defects are not likely to be the single primary cause of this malformation. However, we could not draw any conclusions on etiologic agents. We suggest that case control studies and further investigation on the role of nutritional deficiencies, especially folic acid, in the pathogenesis of encephalomeningocele are necessary to clarify the underlying mechanisms.