title: Pediatric encephaloceles: A series of 20 cases over a period of 3 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Encephalocele is the protrusion of the cranial contents beyond the normal confines of the skull through a defect in the calvarium and is far less common than spinal dysraphism. The exact worldwide frequency is not known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiological features, patterns of encephalocele, and its postsurgical results.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried from year July 2012 to June 2015. Patients with encephalocele were evaluated for epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, imaging characteristics, and surgical results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  20 encephaloceles patients were treated during the study period. Out of these 12 (60%) were male and 8 (40%) female. Age range was 1 day to 6 years. The most common type of encephalocele was occipital 12 (60%), occipito-cervical 4 (20%), parietal 2 (10%), fronto-nasal 1 (5%), and fronto-naso-ethmoidal 1 (5%). One patient had a double encephalocele (one atretic and other was occipital) with dermal sinus tract and limited dermal myeloschisis. Other associations: Chiari 3 malformation (2), meningomyeloceles (4), and syrinx (4). Three patients presented with rupture two of whom succumbed to meningitis and shock. Seventeen patients treated surgically did well with no immediate surgical mortality (except a case of Chiari 3 malformation who succumbed 6 months postsurgery to unrelated causes). Shunt was performed in 4 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common type of encephalocele is occipital in our set up. Early surgical management of encephalocele is not only for cosmetic reasons but also to prevent tethering, rupture, and future neurological deficits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, MR Medical College, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Shashank Ravindra
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ramdurg
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, MR Medical College, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sukanya
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, MR Medical College, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Jayabrata
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maitra
keywords: Encephalocele; occipital; sincipital; split pons; surgical management