What is spina bifida occulta?

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What is spina bifida occulta?

Spina bifida occulta is a closed spinal defect where one or two vertebrae don’t fuse properly, but the spinal cord and meninges stay in place and are covered by skin. It’s often called hidden because there’s no sac protruding and many people have no symptoms at all. Some individuals may have a small tuft of hair, a dimple, or a birthmark over the lower spine, and the finding is usually incidental on imaging. This differs from more serious forms where there is an open defect with a sac containing CSF and meninges that can protrude outside the body, which is not the case here. It also isn’t related to brain damage or meningitis, which are separate conditions.

Spina bifida occulta is a closed spinal defect where one or two vertebrae don’t fuse properly, but the spinal cord and meninges stay in place and are covered by skin. It’s often called hidden because there’s no sac protruding and many people have no symptoms at all. Some individuals may have a small tuft of hair, a dimple, or a birthmark over the lower spine, and the finding is usually incidental on imaging.

This differs from more serious forms where there is an open defect with a sac containing CSF and meninges that can protrude outside the body, which is not the case here. It also isn’t related to brain damage or meningitis, which are separate conditions.

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