CONGENITAL AND HEREDITARY DISEASES

Spina bifida

is a condition in which the bony neural arch that encloses and protects the spinal cord is not completely closed.

myelocele

is a protrusion of the spinal cord, minus its meningeal coverings, which may also be treatable surgically.

meningomyelocele

is the most common and most serious of possible conditions, affecting approximately one in every 800 infants and consisting of a protrusion of both the meninges and the spinal cord into the skin of the back

Hydrocephalus

Refers to an excessive accumulation of CSF within the ventricles and can be either congenital or acquired.

noncommunicating hydrocephalus

, an obstruction may occur congenitally or result from tumor growth, trauma (hemorrhage), or inflammation. It interferes with or blocks normal CSF circulation from the ventricles to the subarachnoid space.

communicating hydrocephalus.

It may arise from a number of factors, including increased ICP caused by tumor compression, raised pressure impairing venous drainage, inflammation from meningitis, or subarachnoid hemorrhage.