Spontaneous symptomatic orbital meningoencephalocele in an adult patient: Case report and review of the literature
Marco Zurita, Carlos Candanedo, Samuel Moscovici, Andrew H. Kaye, Sergey Spektor

a Department of Neurosurgery, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
b Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia

Article history:
Received: 28 March 2020
Accepted: 3 May 2020

Keywords:
Adult, Blepharocele, CSF leak, Meningoencephalocele, Orbital roof

Abstract

Symptomatic spontaneous meningoencephalocele (MEC) is a very rare entity in adults, and there have been no reported cases of spontaneous MEC through the orbital roof in an adult. We report a 41-year-old woman who presented with a left eyelid swelling for several weeks without any history of trauma. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a MEC through the orbital roof causing a significant blepharocele in this young patient. A supraorbital craniotomy was performed to repair the bone defect. The symptoms resolved immediately after surgery. Even though blepharocele is a rare manifestation of spontaneous orbital MEC, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis for appropriate surgical management.