Recurrent atretic parietal cephalocele in adult and radiological findings

Atretic parietal cephaloceles are an extremely rare and occult form of congenital herniations that involve the meninges, remnants of glial cells or central nervous system structures. They are detected as subscalp lesions that are covered by skin. In the literature, atretic parietal cephaloceles have been reported in children in 59 cases and in two cases in adults. We present here a case of a recurrent atretic parietal cephalocele that we recently observed in an adult. This case indicates that an atretic parietal cephalocele should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of subscalp lesions. Radiologic diagnosis is a lifesaving measure that can be undertaken before an operation. Additionally, regular follow-up magnetic resonance imaging is recommended for each case with remnant lesions due to the slow growth of these masses.