Myelomeningocele: a Brazilian University Hospital experience

• Autor(a) principal: Ulsenheimer,Maria M.M.
• Data de Publicação: 2004
• Outros Autores: Antoniuk,Sérgio A., Santos,Lúcia H.C. dos, Ceccatto,Marcos P., Silveira,Antônio Ernesto da, Ruiz,Ana Paula, Egger,Paulo, Bruck,Isac
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2004000600006
• topic: meningomyelocele; neural tube defects; neurological disabilities

We analyzed 31 children with myelomeningocele born between July 1990 and July 2000. Follow-up median was 24 months (6-68months). Only 2 mothers had a known etiologic factor (diabetes mellitus). Twelve had the correct prenatal diagnosis. All children were born at term; 23 by cesarean; 13 had rupture of the membrane. Surgical correction had a 4 days median (1 to 44 days). Lumbosacral lesions were the most frequent (46%). Thirty patients were hydrocephalic, shunt was placed in 27. Meningitis was 4 times more frequent in shunted patients. Seven became epileptic (19.4%). Denver II test showed significant delay in gross motor development . Neurogenic bladder was diagnosed in 12 patients. Congenital clubfoot was the main orthopedic malformation (53%). Six infants died. Nowadays, 17 patients are being followed. A multidisciplinary approach probably helps for a better quality of life.