What is Spina Bifida Meningocele?
Spina bifida meningocele is the rarest form of spina bifida. In a case of spina bifida posterior meningocele, the vertebrae are developed normally, but the meninges are pushed into the gaps between the vertebrae. Due to the fact that the nervous system stays mostly unharmed, people with spina bifida meningocele are less likely to suffer from long term health issues. However, there have been some reports of people with spina bifida meningocele suffering from tethered cord.
Spina bifida meningocele can also form through dehiscences at the base of the skull. This type of spina bifida meningocele can be classified by their proximity to occipital, frontoethmoidal, or nasal. Endonasal meningoceles are found at the roof of the naval cavity and have been mistaken for a nasal polyp.
Spina Bifida Meningocele Symptoms
Because spina bifida meningocele typically causes no damage to the spinal cord, in most cases there are no severe symptoms. Usually, surgery is able to correct the underlying issues with spina bifida meningocele. However, there have been some reports of patients with spina bifida meningocele experiencing a tethered cord.
Tethered Cord - While the infant develops, the spinal cord begins as a flat group of cells. Over time, the group of cells changes into a tube inside of the spine. The spine grows faster than the spinal cord. As long as there are no impediments, the cord is able to move back and forth freely inside the spine. In some cases of spina bifida meningocele, the spinal cord may become attached to surrounding tissue at the base of the back. This spina bifida meningocele complication is called a tethered spinal cord.
If the cord has become tethered, the patient can suffer from neurological complications caused by this spina bifida meningocele symptom. Some results of this complication may include a weakening of the lower limbs causing difficulty in movement or foot deformities. Also, as a result of the tethered cord complication, a patient may have bladder infections or difficulty controlling their bowels.
Spina Bifida Meningocele Lawsuit: Speak to an Attorney
Many new parents ask themselves what was the cause of my child's Spina Bifida Meningocele? Did it happen during pregnancy? The following medications may be linked to causing the development of Spina Bifida Meningocele of unborn babies, infants, and children when their mothers took them while pregnant:
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Depakote
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Tegretol
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Topamax
Our law firm is handling individual birth defect lawsuits against drug and pharmaceutical companies and currently accepting new Depakote, Tegretol, and Topamax cases. If your child was born with a birth injury that you believe may have been caused by taking an antidepressant during pregnancy, then you should contact our law firm as soon as possible for a free confidential review of your potential birth defect lawsuit case. All cases are handled on a Contingency Fee Basis (no attorney's fees or expenses charged unless we recover for you).
Can Depakote, Topamax or Tegretol Cause Spina Bifida Meningocele ?
In a 2006 medical study published in the Journal of Neurology the commonly prescribed antiepileptic drugs like Depakote present a higher risk of developing neural tube defects in the feus (unborn baby). Such neural tube defects include Spina Bifida Occulta, Spina Bifida Meningocele and Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele. The results of a 2010 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine did not contradict those findings. The harmful birth defects associated with Valproic Acid have also been noted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA issued a warning about medicines containing or derived from Valproic Acid in 2006. ( See FDA DEPAKOTE WARNING)
Types of Spina Bifida associated with Depakote usage during pregnancy may include:
1. Spina Bifida Occulta is the mildest and most common form in which one or more vertebrae are malformed. The name "occulta," which means "hidden," indicates that the malformation, or opening in the spine, is covered by a layer of skin. This form of spina bifida rarely causes disability or symptoms.
2. Spina Bifida Closed neural tube defects make up the second type of spina bifida. This form consists of a diverse group of spinal defects in which the spinal cord is marked by a malformation of fat, bone, or membranes. In some patients there are few or no symptoms; in others the malformation causes incomplete paralysis with urinary and bowel dysfunction.
3. Spina Bifida Meningocele, the meninges protrude from the spinal opening, and the malformation may or may not be covered by a layer of skin. Some patients with meningocele may have few or no symptoms while others may experience symptoms similar to closed neural tube defects.
4. Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele, the fourth form, is the most severe and occurs when the spinal cord is exposed through the opening in the spine, resulting in partial or complete paralysis of the parts of the body below the spinal opening. The paralysis may be so severe that the affected individual is unable to walk and may have urinary and bowel dysfunction..
