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Definition of Spina Bifida Occulta

According to the Spina Bifida Association, spina bifida is "the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States." The condition occurs when the spinal column of the unborn child does not close properly during the first few months of gestation. The least intrusive form of this condition is known as spina bifida occulta, in which the defect in the spine is covered by skin. The most common form of spina bifida occulta rarely requires treatment.

  1. Size

    • Approximately 70,000 adult Americans live with severe to moderate spina bifida. The condition affects up to 2,000 new births in the United States each year. Spina bifida occulta, however, may affect up to 20 percent of the population, and those who have this condition may not even be aware of it.

    Identification

    • Spina bifida occulta is diagnosed when it is determined that the patient has at least one malformed vertebra. This condition may not be diagnosed at all because the condition does not present it self outside of the body and there is typically no nerve damage.

    Significance

    • The condition frequently goes undiagnosed until discovered by an X-ray of the lower back for some other injury or condition. The term "spina bifida occulta" is often applied to any malformation of the vertebra. If the condition does not involve damage to the nervous system it is sometimes referred to as "vertebral fusion defect" instead of spina bifida.

    Types

    • Some forms of spina bifida occulta, such as tethered spinal cord, thickened filum terminale, dermal sinus tract and others, may occur without abnormality to the vertebrae and are more rare than typical spina bifida occulta, but these forms can affect the spinal cord and may have significant consequences to your health.

    Warning

    • Pain, weakness or numbness in your back or legs, a change in how your bladder or bowels operate or a hairy patch, fatty lump or discoloration of the skin over the spine may indicate a neurological problem. These symptoms should not be ignored even by patients with no history of spina bifida occulta. An evaluation by a qualified health-care professional can determine if these abnormalities are a form of spina bifida occulta that requires treatment.

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