DOI: 10.36347/sasjs

Pages: 191-194

The aim is to analyse the factors which determine prognosis and assess the outcome of surgery in occipital encepahlocoele. 20 Patients of occipital encephalocoele presented in our Paediatric surgery unit in tertiary care centre in metropolitan city in India from 2008 to 2016 were included in this study. Follow-up period ranged from 3month to 9 years (Mean 3 yr 5months) for different patients. Various prognostic factors such as age at presentation and surgery, size of bony defect, contents of the sac, associated anomalies, need for Ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion were taken into consideration. Outcome was assessed in form of mortality, wound infections, ventriculitis, shunt complications, optic atrophy and delayed milestones. Out of 20 patients presented over 9 years, 2(10%) couldn’t survive till surgical repair while 3 (15 %) expired postoperatively 1 of which had documented shunt infection as cause of death. Most of the repeated admissions (in 7 of 11 who required VP shunt) were designated to shunt complications while 4 of 20 had wound infection 1 of which died and 1 had associated shunt infection as well. In Occipital encephalocoele, factors such as age at presentation, size of bony defect, contents of the sac and associated anomalies such as microcephaly, hydrocephalus, wound infection and shunt complications played major role in overall outcome.