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A case of idiopathic encephalomeningocele

Athanasios K Petridis1, Alexandros Doukas1, Hubertus M Mehdorn1

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany.

Clinics and Practice
|April 26, 2014
PubMed

Insights

This case study details an adult temporobasal encephalomeningocele, a rare condition typically seen in children. Surgical removal successfully resolved the patient's chronic headaches.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Neurology
  • Congenital Abnormalities

Background:

  • Encephalomeningocele, a neural tube defect, predominantly affects children, causing facial disfigurement.
  • Adult cases are rare, often presenting with rhinorrhea, but this case highlights an atypical presentation.
  • The etiology is typically a congenital cranial base fusion defect, though not apparent in this patient.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a rare case of temporobasal encephalomeningocele in an adult female.
  • To describe the diagnostic process and successful surgical management of this condition in an elderly patient.
  • To highlight the varied clinical presentations of encephalomeningocele in adults.

Main Methods:

  • Diagnostic imaging included brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cranial computed tomography (CT), and MR cisternography.
  • Surgical intervention involved a pterional approach for complete removal of the encephalomeningocele.
  • Clinical assessment of symptoms, particularly headaches and rhinorrhea, was performed pre- and post-operatively.

Main Results:

  • A 72-year-old female presented with chronic headaches, lacking typical symptoms like rhinorrhea.
  • Imaging confirmed a temporobasal encephalomeningocele.
  • Complete surgical excision of the lesion was achieved.
  • The patient's headaches resolved completely following surgery.

Conclusions:

  • Temporobasal encephalomeningocele can occur in adults without apparent congenital causes and may present atypically with headaches as the primary symptom.
  • Advanced imaging techniques are crucial for diagnosing such rare conditions.
  • Surgical intervention offers a definitive treatment, leading to symptom resolution.

Keywords:
congenital defectheadache.neurosurgical removaltemporobasal encephalomeningocele

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