Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39751908›Full record

ArticleChild's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery2025

Detailed analysis of cystic lesions in patients after open fetal repair and postnatal myelomeningocele closure.

Sanjana R Salwi, Sierra D Land, Taryn Gallagher, Tom A Reynolds, Deborah M Zarnow, Angela Viaene, Julie S Moldenhauer, N Scott Adzick, Tracy M Flanders, Gregory G Heuer

Abstract read
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Article in Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sanjana R SalwiDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Sierra D LandRichard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Taryn GallagherRichard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Tom A ReynoldsRichard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Deborah M ZarnowDepartment of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Angela ViaeneDivision of Anatomic Pathology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Julie S MoldenhauerRichard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
N Scott AdzickRichard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Tracy M FlandersDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Gregory G HeuerDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. heuerg@CHOP.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe sought to evaluate the incidence, natural history, and management of cystic spinal lesions following myelomeningocele/myeloschisis closure.

methodsWe performed a single-center retrospective review of all patients who underwent myelomeningocele/myeloschisis closure from 2013 to 2018 with follow-up to 5 years old.

resultsWe analyzed 100 fetal repairs and 81 postnatal closures from 305 total surgeries. Patients within this cohort systematically underwent serial MRI scans of the lumbar spine and had clinical follow-up until at least 5 years of age. Ninety-three (51.2%) developed radiographic evidence of cystic lesions with 28 (30.1%) requiring surgical intervention. Presence of cysts was higher in fetal repair (67/100, 67%) compared with postnatal (26/81, 32.1%; p < 0.01). Of the 93 patients with radiographic cysts, 28 (30.1%) underwent surgical resection at a median age of 27.6 months old ([Q1, Q3], [13.0, 48.6 months]). Fetal repair patients had a higher rate (26/67, 38.8%) of cysts requiring surgical resection compared with postnatal closure (2/26, 7.7%, p value < 0.01). Pathology demonstrated 18 of resected cysts were dermoid, 8 were epidermoid, and 2 were fibrous tissue. Post-operatively, no patients experienced a worsened ambulation status. Bladder compliance showed a non-significant trend toward improvement.

conclusionsCystic lesions in myelomeningocele/myeloschisis patients are common findings that result in nerve root tethering. We propose regular screening in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to circumvent nerve injury. Most cystic lesions do not require surgical resection though fetal repair is associated with a higher incidence of operative cysts. However, these lesions can be safely surgically resected with maintenance of ambulation and urologic function.

Indexed as

MeningomyeloceleChild, PreschoolCystsFemaleHumansInfantMagnetic Resonance ImagingMalePostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective StudiesFetal closureInclusion cystMyelomeningoceleTethered cord

Identifiers

PMID39751908
PMCPMC11698761

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