What is Lipomyelocele?

A lipomyelocele is a type of lipoma that occurs with Spina Bifida. A lipoma is a fatty, fibrous tissue mass in the spinal column that extends on the backside through a Spina Bifida defect (gap or opening in the spine). It connects to the spinal cord against the skin.

What is neural Placode?

Placode (or neural placode) refers in terms of radiology to a segment of non-neurulated neural tissue, which has had development frozen in the neural plate stage. A placode can be found in all open spinal dysraphisms and in some closed spinal dysraphisms.

Is lipomyelomeningocele spina bifida?

A lipomyelomeningocele (pronounced lipo-my-elo-men-IN-go-seal) is a large collection of fat cells (fatty mass). It is located in the spinal canal and extends out through the gap or opening in the vertebrae becoming visible under the skin on the child’s back. It is associated with Spina Bifida.

What is closed spinal dysraphism?

Closed spinal dysraphism (CSD) (also known as occult spinal dysraphism or spina bifida occulta) is characterized by failure of fusion of the vertebral bodies due to abnormal fusion of the posterior vertebral arches, with unexposed neural tissue; the skin overlying the defect is intact.

How long does a child with spina bifida live?

Not so long ago, spina bifida was considered a pediatric illness, and patients would simply continue to see their pediatric physicians into adulthood. The average life span for an individual with the condition was 30 to 40 years, with renal failure as the most typical cause of death.

What is spina bifida occulta in adults?

Spina Bifida Occulta is the mildest type of spina bifida. It is sometimes called “hidden” spina bifida. With it, there is a small gap in the spine, but no opening or sac on the back. The spinal cord and the nerves usually are normal. Many times, Spina Bifida Occulta is not discovered until late childhood or adulthood.

Can you split your spine?

Split spinal cord malformation (SSCM) is a rare form of spinal dysraphism in which a person is born with splitting, or duplication , of the spinal cord. It may be characterized by complete or incomplete division of the spinal cord, resulting in two ‘hemicords.

Is the Adenohypophyseal Placode a neurogenic Placode?

And third, all placodes with the exception of adenohypophyseal and lens placode are neurogenic (e.g. D’Amico-Martel and Noden, 1983, Ma et al., 1998, Fode et al., 1998, Schlosser and Northcutt, 2000, Andermann et al., 2002, Begbie et al., 2002).

Is spinal dysraphism the same as spina bifida?

Spinal dysraphism (also called spina bifida) is a condition in which a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not form properly during pregnancy. The spine and spinal cords are then exposed to the surrounding environment inside or outside the body.

Does spina bifida cause brain damage?

Some babies with spina bifida have hydrocephalus (excess fluid on the brain), which can damage the brain and cause further problems. Many people with spina bifida and hydrocephalus will have normal intelligence, although some will have learning difficulties, such as: a short attention span.

Where does lipomyelocele occur in the spinal cord?

Lipomyelocele is one of the most common closed spinal dysraphism. It is seen in the thoracolumbar region and usually presents as a fatty subcutaneous mass. What is Lipomyelocele? When does it occur? What causes it? What symptoms occur? How is it treated? What is Lipomyelocele? A lipomyelocele is a type of lipoma that occurs with Spina Bifida.

How are lipomas and lipomyelomenigocele alike and different?

Lipomyelocele and lipomyelomenigocele both involve lipomas with a dural defect, and are differentiated by the extension of the neural placode-lipoma interface outside of the spinal canal with the latter.

How is lipomyelocele diagnosed in a pediatric patient?

Occult spinal dysraphic disorders such as lipomyelocele are an uncommon but clinically important diagnosis in the pediatric patient population due to the high risk of significant neurologic impairment. These disorders are often initially detected on ultrasound after the discovery of lumbosacral skin stigmata on physical examination.

Where is the neural placode-lipoma interface located?

The neural placode -lipoma interface lies within the spinal canal or at its edge with normal anterior subarachnoid space. There is usually associated tethered low-lying cord or syrinx of the terminal spinal cord.