title: Myelomeningocele: a Brazilian University Hospital experience.
abstract: We analyzed 31 children with myelomeningocele born between July 1990 and July 2000. Follow-up median was 24 months (6-68 months). Only 2 mothers had a known etiologic factor (diabetes mellitus). Twelve had the correct prenatal diagnosis. All children were born at term; 23 by cesarean; 13 had rupture of the membrane. Surgical correction had a 4 days median (1 to 44 days). Lumbosacral lesions were the most frequent (46%). Thirty patients were hydrocephalic, shunt was placed in 27. Meningitis was 4 times more frequent in shunted patients. Seven became epileptic (19.4%). Denver II test showed significant delay in gross motor development. Neurogenic bladder was diagnosed in 12 patients. Congenital clubfoot was the main orthopedic malformation (53%). Six infants died. Nowadays, 17 patients are being followed. A multidisciplinary approach probably helps for a better quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ulsenheimer
authors.forename: Sérgio A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Antoniuk
authors.forename: Lúcia H C Dos
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Marcos P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ceccatto
authors.forename: Antônio Ernesto da
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: Isac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bruck
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution