A practical clinical classification of spinal neural tube defects.
Current commonly used terminology to describe neural tube defects (NTD) is inconsistent, overlapping, contradictory and, at times, inaccurate making it difficult to convey the nature of the malformation and what needs to be done to optimally treat patients with these congenital abnormalities.NTD can be broadly divided into those that are open with exposed neural tissue and leaking cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and those that are closed with no exposed neural tissue nor loss of CSF. It appears that the loss of CSF during development is the underlying factor that leads to the entire central nervous system involvement with an open NTD and lack thereof with a closed NTD, wherein only the spinal cord is malformed. There are, however, rare transitional cases that bridge the gap between the two forms.Agreeing on a nomenclature that is used in a standard fashion would be of help in addressing this group of congenital anomalies that have a great deal of variability and, at times, can be quite complex.
Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 1300 N. Vermont Avenue, Suite 1006, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA. gmccomb@chla.usc.edu.|Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1300 N. Vermont Avenue, Suite 1006, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA. gmccomb@chla.usc.edu.
J Gordon
JG
McComb
D006801:Humans; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000002:abnormalities*; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000473:pathology*
Closed Neural Tube Defect; Limited dorsal myeloschisis; Meningocele; Myelocystocele; Myelomeningocele; Open Neural Tube Defect; Spina bifida; Spinal dysraphism; Spinal neural tube defects