Spina Bifida: Things You Must Know

Spina bifida is also known as spinal dysraphism.

The condition may be occult or difficult to detect (spinal bifida occulta) or relatively clinically obvious (spina bifida aperta or spina bifida cystic).

The following definitions are useful in understanding the various entities grouped together as spinal dysraphic conditions.

1. Spina bifida occulta: congenital absence of a spinous process and variable amount of lamina (part of the posteriorpart of a vertebra) with no visible exposure of the meninges or neural tissue.

2. Meningocele: Congenital defect in vertebral arches with cystic distension of meninges, but no abnormality of neural tissue.

3. Myelomenigocele: Congenital defect in vertebral arches with cystic distension of meninges and structural or functional abnormality of the spinal cord or cauda equina.

Spina bifida is part of the spectrum of neural tube defects caused by abnormalities during the formation or closure of the neural tube
[img_assist|fid=2265|thumb=1|alt=Spina bifida - myelomeningocoele]