Lumbosacral Meningocele in Adulthood

Abstract

Spinal dysraphism is the incomplete fusion of the neural arch, which can be seen as an occult or open neural tube defect. Meningoceles are a form of open neural tube defect and characterized by cystic dilatation of the meninges containing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), without the involvement of neural tissue. These lesions are often benign and typically diagnosed at birth. Neurosurgical intervention is necessary in the newborn period, since survival in advancing ages is often impossible. Therefore, meningoceles are rarely reported among spinal dysraphic lesions in adulthood. They are tethering lesions of the spinal cord, adhering to the dura and other soft tissues with fibrous elements. In addition, the caudal lesions tend to leak CSF, unlike cervical congenital midline meningoceles. Here, we present a 41 year-old female patient with a meningocele that has developed CSF leakage. The clinical course, surgical management, and follow-up period of this rarely seen adulthood meningocele are also discussed. [Cukurova Med J 2015; 40(Suppl 1): 131-135]

Keywords

• adulthood
• meningocele
• spinal dysraphism