• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.1000-1004
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• 2006

Atretic cephalocele is a degenerative form of encephalocele, which is detected as a cystic mass in the head, primarily in infants. Its presentation and prognosis vary and depend on various factors, including the nature of the tissues within the cyst, other concomitant anomalies, the site of development, and the presence or absence of an embryonic straight sinus. We here report 2 cases of atretic encephalocele, that were transferred to our hospital because round tumors, misdiagnosed as dermoid cysts, were detected in their parietal lobes immediately after birth. On diagnostic and differential MRI, an embryonic straight sinus was detected while histochemical results indicated that the lesions contained cerebral tissues. Despite these structural anomalies, the two patients developed normally neurologically and no other anomalies were detected. We here discuss these two cases and present a review of the relevant literature.