Traumatic sacral pseudomeningocele with spina bifida occulta

Abstract

Pseudomeningocele arises after spinal fracture and nerve root avulsion or after complications of spine surgery. However, traumatic pseudomeningocele with spina bifida occulta is rare. In this report, a traumatic pseudomeningocele in a patient with spina bifida occulta that required surgical treatment is documented. This 37-year-old man presented to the authors' hospital with headache and a fluctuant mass in the center of his buttocks. A CT scan with myelography and MR imaging of the sacral region revealed a large subcutaneous area of fluid retention communicating with the intradural space through a defect of the S-2 lamina. Because 3 months of conservative treatment was unsuccessful, a free fat graft was placed with fibrin glue to seal the closure of the defect, followed by 1 week of CSF drainage. This is the first report on traumatic pseudomeningocele with spina bifida occulta successfully treated in this manner.