[Fronto-ethmoidal meningo-encephaloceles and nasal gliomas (author's transl)]

Meningoencephalocoeles and nasal gliomas are congenital malformations rare in Europe but much better known in Morocco and in Thailand. These lesions have embryonic relations which are such that certain authors consider them to be only clinical varieties of the same malformation. They cause extra nasal, intra nasal or mixed tumours discovered most often at birth. Treatment is surgical either via a high intracranial approach or via a low facial approach (both approaches sometimes being used in association) and the prognosis is dominated by the problem of the dura mater if there are connections between the tumour mass and the subarachnoid spaces. When the problem is resolved by dural plasty, the later prognosis is excellent and, in particular, the psychomotor development of the children appears to be normal. Cosmetic problems, and in particular hypertelorism, may nevertheless require later surgery.