Symptoms of spina bifida

Spina bifida generally refers to congenital spina bifida. So far, we are not very clear about the cause of spina bifida, which leads to great difficulties in treating spina bifida. We need to know the symptoms of spina bifida so that once we find the symptoms of spina bifida, we should take appropriate measures to deal with spina bifida. Let us take a deeper look at spina bifida below.

Spina bifida can be divided into several categories, namely, spina bifida occulta, spina bifida with meningocele and spina bifida with myelomeningocele. Different types of spina bifida show different symptoms.

Spina bifida is a condition in which part of the spinal canal does not close completely. It is a common congenital neural tube defect (anencephaly, spina bifida, encephalocele). According to monitoring data from 1986 to 1987, the incidence of neural tube defects in my country is about 2.74‰, and it is higher in the north than in the south, and higher in rural areas than in cities. The incidence is higher in babies born in autumn and winter than in those born in spring and summer. The male-to-female ratio of spina bifida is 0.6 to 0.9:1. The clinical manifestations are related to the degree of involvement of the spinal cord and spinal nerves. If the spinal cord and spinal nerves are involved, neurological symptoms such as lower limb paralysis and incontinence may occur.

Neurological symptoms are related to the degree of involvement of the spinal cord and spinal nerves, and the most common ones are lower limb paralysis and incontinence. If the lesion is in the lumbar sacral region, there will be spastic paralysis and muscle atrophy of the lower limbs, and disappearance of sensation and tendon reflexes. The lower limbs often show equinus deformity, low temperature, cyanosis and edema, and are prone to nutritional ulcers and even gangrene. Muscle contractures are common, and sometimes the hip dislocates. In some mild cases, neurological symptoms may be mild. As children grow older, neurological symptoms often worsen. This is related to the fact that the spinal canal grows faster than the spinal cord, gradually increasing the involvement of the spinal cord and spinal nerves.

1. No treatment is required for asymptomatic occult spina bifida.

2. Surgery

(1) The cyst wall is very thin, the cyst cavity expands rapidly, and it may rupture at any time. If it has already ruptured but there is no infection, surgery should be performed as soon as possible.

(2) If the cyst wall is thick, the mass is not large, and the lower limbs are mobile, surgical treatment can be performed when the infant is older and can tolerate the surgery.

(3) Patients who underwent simple surgical removal of the cyst in infancy but still have urinary and bowel and lower limb dysfunction and whose local skin is still normal should still strive for another surgical treatment.

(4) If the cyst wall has ruptured and infection has occurred, or if severe neurological dysfunction occurs in the early stages, accompanied by hydrocephalus and severe intellectual impairment, surgery is contraindicated.

The general principles of surgery are tumor removal, nerve release, spinal canal decompression and return of protruding nerve tissue to the spinal canal, repair of soft tissue defects, and avoidance of persistent traction of nerve tissue that may aggravate symptoms. The surgical bandage should be tight, and the patient should lie prone or side-lying for 2 to 3 days after surgery and after suture removal to prevent urine and feces from soaking and contaminating the incision.

Above we introduced what spina bifida is. We know that spina bifida generally refers to congenital spina bifida. Spina bifida is very difficult to treat, so we need to understand some knowledge about spina bifida and do a good job of preventing it. Above we introduced the symptoms of spina bifida in detail.