Encephalocystocele - Uncommon diagnosis in prenatal medicine

Abstract

Encephalocystocele is a developmental malformation characterized by brain herniation accompanied with extracranial cystic protrusion of the ventricular system. This nosological unit is often overlooked and insufficiently classified merely as encephalocele. Herein, two exceptionally clear cases of the parieto-occipital cranioschisis with encephalocystocele and congenital hydrocephalus of the lateral ventricles are documented with 2-dimensional/3- dimensional sonographic images and the corresponding MRI findings. In both cases, prenatal diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy. © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.