encephalocele

congenital disorder

Also known as: encephalocoele

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Last updated

June 26, 2026

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An encephalocele is a congenital disorder where a meningeal sac containing brain tissue protrudes from the skull. This condition arises from a defect in the neural tube's development during early embryonic life. The severity of an encephalocele and its impact on an individual's outlook depend on the amount of nervous tissue involved. It is a type of neural tube defect, which are congenital disorders affecting the brain and spinal cord due to improper closure of the neural tube.1

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neural tube defect
cephalic disorder
encephalocoele

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neural tube defect
…of open neural tube defect, encephalocele, occurs when a meningeal sac containing brain tissue protrudes from the skull. The outlook for affected individuals depends on the amount of nervous tissue involved.
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…of open neural tube defect, encephalocele, occurs when a meningeal sac containing brain tissue protrudes from the skull. The outlook for affected individuals depends on the amount of nervous tissue involved.
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malformation
Somatic characters
…through the cranium as an encephalocoele. An extreme variant of this type is pseudencephaly, in which the whole brain is everted and rests upon the top of the cranium like a wig.
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…through the cranium as an encephalocoele. An extreme variant of this type is pseudencephaly, in which the whole brain is everted and rests upon the top of the cranium like a wig.
Read More