Encephalocele is a protrusion of the brain and the membranes that cover it through an opening in the skull. Encephalocele happens when the neural tube does not close completely during pregnancy. These children are usually born with a swelling at the back of the head. This is a rare disease with incidence of about 1 per 10000 live births, and the outcome even after timely intervention is poor.
This child was delivered by caesarean section and had a very large swelling at the back of the head at the time of delivery. CT scan of the child was done which confirmed the diagnosis of encephalocele and showed a defect in the skull through which the brain tissue and brain fluid along with its covering layers were protruding outside. The patient was taken up for surgery and the swelling was removed completely from the head of the child with proper reconstruction.
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