A giant occipital encephalocele in an infant

Encephaloceles are neural tube defects that are characterized by protrusion of brain and meninges through a defect in the cranium. Encephaloceles are very rare with an incidence of about 1 in 5000 live births and a female preponderance with an unknown etiology. This is a case of a 3-month-old female infant with a huge occipital swelling, delayed developmental milestones, and microcephaly without neck control and social smile and poor suckling. The patient was referred by the neurosurgical unit of the hospital to the department of radiology for a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the brain on account of a huge occipital mass and microcephaly. The CECT showed a huge cystic mass with brain density substance and cerebrospinal fluid density fluid. Conservative management which includes the parent's reassurance, supportive care, symptom management, and close monitoring plays a role in their nonsurgical management.