Doctors found a boy born with a striking condition. With a red bag resembling a balloon on his back.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital details In the case of last month New England Journal of MedicineIt is part of a regular section that focuses on unusual medical images. Boy's balloon sac is a rare complication of a common birth defect. By creating a gap in his spine. Despite its shocking appearance But doctors were able to successfully remove the cyst without major problems. And the boy appears to be recovering with no long-term developmental problems.
The boy was born with a type of neural tube defect (NTD), a condition that affect about 1 in every 1,000 people The neural tube is a structure that forms early in the embryo's pregnancy. It is the base from which the brain and spinal cord will later develop. The tube usually closes completely by the fourth week of pregnancy. But sometimes it doesn't close completely. This causes a gap in the spinal cord and spine. This type of NFD is specifically known as spina bifida.
in The most mild casePeople may never experience any symptoms. of the bifida spine. They are often not even aware of it until they are adults through an accidental imaging test. In The most serious casePart of the baby's spinal cord can push through the opening and form a sac containing cerebrospinal fluid. meninges (one of the protective layers of the brain) and the tissues or nerves of the nervous system This form can lead to serious problems, such as structural brain defects. Problems moving normally and lifelong developmental delays
The boy's form of spina bifida fell in the middle, which is called a meningocele. His protruding sac was very large. It has a size of approximately 3 x 2.8 x 2 inches. Importantly, it contains only the cerebrospinal fluid and the meninges. There is no spinal cord or brain tissue. A picture of the bag can be seen. gentlemanFair warning, though: it's pretty scary.
There are many things that can increase your chances of developing NFD, such as the mother taking certain medications or having a lack of folic acid in the early stages of development. (This is why pregnant women often recommended taking folic acid supplements), but doctors say neither mother nor fetus are at high risk factors. It appears that this was just an unfortunate event.
Fortunately, six days after the boy was born Doctors removed the cyst and repaired the defect. Four days later, he was healthy enough to be discharged from the hospital. And when followed up for another 6 months, it was found that the boy's development was normal.