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- A milder form of spina bifida.
- Occurs in somewhere between one in ten and one in twenty people.
- Often it is never diagnosed and causes no problems.
- There may be visible signs on the skin such as a a patch of hair, a naevus (birthmark), dimple, sinus (hole), or mole.
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- "cystica" means cyst-like.
- A fluid-filled sac is visible on the back.
- There are two forms...
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- In this form the sac contains the meninges and CSF.
- Relatively uncommon.
- Often no nerve damage, and no disability.
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- The more common form of cystica.
- The sac contains part of the spinal cord as well as the meninges.
- Consequently, the cord is usually damaged, and some nerve function is lost.
- The extent of paralysis is often dependent upon the position of the bifid vertebrae.
- The vast majority of people with myelomeningocele also have hydrocephalus.
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- Improper development of the skull.
- Again, a sac is usually present, this time called an encephalocele.
- Two very severe forms are:
- Iniencephaly - the brain is severely damaged.
- Anencephaly - the brain is absent.
- In this case, if the child is not still-born, his or her life will normally be very short.
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