Meningocele (Noun)
Meaning
A congenital anomaly of the central nervous system in which a sac protruding from the brain or the spinal meninges contains cerebrospinal fluid (but no nerve tissue).
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- A meningocele is a type of spina bifida that involves the protrusion of a sac of cerebrospinal fluid through an opening in the spine.
- In a meningocele, the sac contains only cerebrospinal fluid, with no nerve tissue, and may be visible at birth or may not be apparent until later in life.
- Meningocele is a congenital condition, which means it is present at birth, and occurs when the meninges fail to properly form around the brain or spinal cord during fetal development.
- A meningocele may occur alone or in association with other neural tube defects, such as myelomeningocele or encephalocele.
- The goal of surgical treatment for a meningocele is to repair the opening in the spine or skull and restore normal anatomy, which can help to prevent infection and further complications.