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Start free with EleplanOpen spinal dysraphism
ORPHA:268369Clinical group
Also called Open spina bifida · Spina bifida aperta
What it is
A rare neural tube closure defect characterized by a skin defect with exposed neural tissue in the area of the spinal column, with or without a protruding sac at the location of the defect. Signs and symptoms are variable depending on the content (only meninges or also spinal cord tissue), location, and severity of the lesion, but may include motor, sensory, and/or sphincter dysfunction, hydrocephalus, and/or skeletal anomalies (e. g. scoliosis, hemivertebrae), among others.
Key facts
- Prevalence
- 1-5 / 10 000 (at birth, Germany)
- Age of onset
- Infancy, Neonatal
- Inheritance
- Multigenic/multifactorial, Not applicable
- Classified as
- Clinical group
Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.
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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