PURPOSE The aim of the current study was the clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) analysis of the brain bioelectrical activity in patients with myelomeningocele and internal hydrocephalus. MATERIAL AND METHODS The present study included 86 children (44 boys and 42 girls) with myelomeningocele. The children were aged 1-17 years (mean 7 +/- 4.4 years). Thoracic myelomeningocele was identi...

The objective of this study was to examine the relation between the 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene and behaviors related to attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in individuals with myelomeningocele. The rationale for the study was twofold: folate metabolizing genes, (e.g. MTHFR), are important not only in the etiology of neural tube defects but are also criti...

Hypoxic and hypercapneic arousal responses from quiet sleep were tested in seven infants with myelomeningocele and Arnold-Chiari malformation who were symptomatic with apnea and/or hypoventilation. All infants with myelomeningocele required tracheostomy and posterior fossa decompression. Responses were compared with those of nine healthy control infants. To assess hypoxic arousal, inspired PO2 ...

OBJECTIVE To compare neuromotor development between patients who did and those who did not undergo intrauterine myelomeningocele repair. METHODS Children with myelomeningocele aged between 3.5 and 6 years who did undergo intrauterine repair (Group A, n=6) or not (Group B; n=7) were assessed for neuromotor development at both anatomical and functional levels, need for orthoses, and cognitive f...

PURPOSE Myelomeningocele is one of the most common birth defects. It is associated with severe neurological deficiencies, and ocular changes, such as strabismus, are very common. The purpose of this study was to describe indications for strabismus surgery in patients with myelomeningocele and to evaluate the results achieved with surgical correction. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed record...

Widespread use of ultrasonography has resulted in an increase in the recognition of fetal hydronephrosis. The enthusiasm that accompanied early interventions has been tempered by the experience and results obtained over the past 2 decades. The goal has remained the same: to identify patients with serious prenatal obstruction and to identify those which may benefit from intervention. Myelomening...

Myelomeningocele, also known as spina bifida, is one of the most common congenital anomalies of the central nervous system and the most common open, prenatally repaired birth defect. The Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS), which compared the results of prenatal and postnatal myelomeningocele repair, found prenatal surgery to be much more effective than postnatal surgery. During surgery...

BACKGROUND Myelomeningocele is a common birth defect that is often accompanied by clubfoot deformity. Treatment of clubfoot associated with myelomeningocele traditionally has consisted of extensive soft-tissue release operations, which are associated with many complications. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the early results of the Ponseti method for the treatment of clubfoot as...

Primary tethered cord syndrome is defined as low placement of the spinal cord and thickened filum terminale with associated anomalies. This definition excludes anomalies concomitant with overt myelomeningocele and spinal cord tethering secondary to myelomeningocele repair. Embryologically, the primary tethered cord syndrome is an entirely different entity from overt myelomeningocele and associa...

Prenatal decision-making for myelomeningocele changed in 2011, when MOMS (Management of Myelomeningocele Study) demonstrated the effectiveness of intrauterine fetal surgery, thereby securing this intervention as an alternative to either pregnancy termination or postnatal repair. Although it is hoped that an evidence-based approach to medical decisions using the MOMS results would improve the qu...