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Enlargement of sacral subcutaneous meningocele associated with retained medullary cord

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Abstract

Background

A retained medullary cord (RMC) is a rare closed spinal dysraphism with a robust elongated neural structure continuous from the conus and extending to the dural cul-de-sac. Four cases of RMC extending down to the base of an associated subcutaneous meningocele at the sacral level have been reported.

Clinical presentation

We report an additional case of RMC, in whom serial MRI examination revealed an enlargement of the meningocele associated with RMC over a 3-month period between 8 and 11 months of age, when he began to stand. At the age of 12 months, untethering of the cord was performed. Histologically, the presence of ependyma-lined central canals in the dense neuroglial cores was noted in all cord-like structures in the intradural and intrameningocele sacs and at the attachment to the meningocele.

Conclusion

It is conceivable that the hydrodynamic pressure with standing position and the check valve phenomenon were involved in meningocele enlargement. We should be mindful of these potential morphological changes.

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Funding

This work was partly supported by the Research Foundation of Fukuoka Children’s Hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Japan Community Health Care Organization (JCHO), Kyushu Hospital, Kitakyushu, Japan

    Noritoshi Shirozu, Satoshi Inoha & Naoyuki Imamoto

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka Children’s Hospital, 5-1-1 Kashii-teriha, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 813-0017, Japan

    Takato Morioka

  3. Department of Pathology, Japan Community Health Care Organization (JCHO), Kyushu Hospital, Kitakyushu, Japan

    Takakazu Sasaguri

Authors
  1. Noritoshi Shirozu
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  2. Takato Morioka
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  3. Satoshi Inoha
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  4. Naoyuki Imamoto
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  5. Takakazu Sasaguri
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takato Morioka.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Shirozu, N., Morioka, T., Inoha, S. et al. Enlargement of sacral subcutaneous meningocele associated with retained medullary cord. Childs Nerv Syst 34, 1785–1790 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-018-3812-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-018-3812-z

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