Intracranial venous anomalies associated with atretic cephalocoeles

Background. Midline scalp lesions are frequent in children. They include soft-tissue masses and atretic meningocoeles. Their recognition is important as their treatment differs. Intracranial venous anomalies are known to be associated with atretic cephalocoeles.¶Materials and methods. A retrospective study was undertaken to assess the frequency of intracranial venous anomalies associated with atretic meningocoeles (AT). Thirty-one patients with AT were studied by MRI. There were 13 meningocoeles and 14 encephalocoeles; 4 have not yet received surgery.¶Results. Venous anomalies were found when the cephalocoeles lay above the torcular. They include absence of the straight sinus and duplication of the longitudinal sinus.¶Conclusion. Venous anomalies are frequent in atretic cephalocoeles and are part of the dysraphic state.