Growth and Psychological Development in Postoperative Patients With Anterior Encephaloceles

Anterior encephaloceles are rare malformations that are frequently associated with other brain anomalies. This study evaluates the growth and psychological development of children following encephalocele repair.

Growth and psychological assessment was done in 24 children with only encephalocele (group I); nine children with encephalocele and hydrocephalus (group II); seven children with encephalocele, hydrocephalus, and secondary malformations (group III); and 40 apparently healthy control subjects. Psychological assessment was done by evaluating intelligence and temperament.

Single-stage repair was performed in 38 children, and two underwent multistage repair. Major postoperative complications were noted in three individuals. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 168 months, and during this time the growth velocity declined significantly among group II and group III patients when compared with control subjects. After adjusting the body mass index for age, our data revealed that group III participants had a significantly (P = 0.02) lower body mass index than the control group. Group III also had poor indices for intelligence quotient (P ≤ 0.01) and temperament (P ≤ 0.01). Female patients had lower temperament indices when compared with unaffected females with regard to approach withdrawal (P ≤ 0.01), mood (P = 0.026), and intensity (P = 0.03). Overall, increased disease severity adversely affected the psychological indices.

Individuals with anterior encephalocele without associated intracranial defects had excellent postoperative outcomes in terms of growth and psychological developments. Hydrocephalus and agenesis of corpus callosum had the least impact on psychological development. However, the presence of secondary brain defects led to developmental delays. Gender differences in temperament may suggest a need for distinct treatment regimens to assess psychosocial well-being for males and females.