Thalidomide Embryopathy as Possible Cause of Anterior Sacral Meningocele: A Case Report

A 54-year-old male presented with a sudden burning sensation during urination and left flank pain. Apart from having congenital facial palsy and malformation of the inner right ear that was linked to thalidomide embryopathy, the patient has always been in good health. Urine examination showed the presence of a urinary tract infection. An abdominal ultrasound revealed a large cyst in the lower abdomen, which on MRI corresponded to a large anterior sacral meningocele (ASM) with sacral agenesis at S1/S2. After antibiotic treatment and the spontaneous passage of a kidney stone, the symptoms resolved. This suggests that the patient's acute symptoms were caused by the urolithiasis and not the ASM. Thalidomide is teratogenic between days 17 and 30 after conception. The neural tube closes between days 20 and 36, therefore, thalidomide embryopathy was the possible cause of ASM in this patient. Birth Defects Research 109:1390-1392, 2017.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.