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Start free with EleplanIsolated posterior meningocele
ORPHA:268810Morphological anomaly
What it is
Posterior meningocele is a rare neural tube closure defect characterized by the herniation of a cerebrospinal fluid-filled sac, that is lined by dura and arachnoid mater, through a posterior spina bifida and covered by a layer of skin of variable thickness, which may be dysplastic or ulcerated. The spinal cord and nerves are generally not included and function normally, although sometimes a tethered cord may be associated. They are most commonly located in the lumbar or sacral region.
Key facts
- Age of onset
- Infancy, Neonatal
- Inheritance
- Multigenic/multifactorial, Not applicable
- Classified as
- Morphological anomaly
Recorded for the broader condition
- Prevalence
- 1-5 / 10 000 (at birth, Saudi Arabia)Spinal dysraphism with a posterior meningocele
Orphanet records these for the broader condition rather than for this specific form. They are a starting point, not a figure for this subtype — subtypes often differ, and some are defined by being rarer than the condition they sit under.
Signs and symptoms
Sometimes5–29%
18- Absent Achilles reflex
- Bowel incontinence
- Chiari malformation
- Enuresis
- Gait disturbance
- Hydrocephalus
- Hydromyelia
- Hypertonia
and 10 more in this range
These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.
ICD-10 codes
ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.
Related health topics
Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.
Benefit programs to look at
Programs whose eligibility touches the same ICD-10 categories. Eligibility is decided by the administering agency, never by this page.
Cross-references
Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.
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