Giant Occipital Encephalocele: A Case Report and Literature Review

Protrusion of cerebrospinal fluid and meninges is called meningocele. Meningoencephalocele is a protrusion of neural tissue and meninges. The incidence of an Encephalocele is 1 in every 5000 live births. Anterior encephalocele is more common in men, while occipital encephalocele is seen in 70% of women. In a large encephalocele, the head size is small. Encephaloceles can occasionally be very large and are called giant encephaloceles. Occipital encephaloceles accounted for 80% to 90% of encephalocele cases in the western hemisphere. Encephaloceles vary in size and content. Various factors affecting the prognosis of patients with occipital encephalocele. Among them: extent, amount of brain tissue in the sac with or without Dural venous sinuses in the sac, with the brain or occipital lobe with hydrocephalus or presence of ventricles. Rarely, the sagittal and transverse sinuses are adjacent to the sac.

This is a case of an 8-month old male infant born to a mother who had no regular antenatal care. After the baby presented with progressively increasing posterior head mass which is cystic, transilluminating, tender and size is 40cmX35cm imaging demonstrated small brain tissue mainly part of right occipital lobe with most of the sac being occupied by cerebrospinal fluid. Repair done and dysplastic brain tissue resected then healthy-looking brain tissue and Dural sinuses reduced to the skull, then patient stayed in the hospital and closely followed for hydrocephalus for seven days and discharged with no hydrocephalus and no neurologic deficit.