Purpose or Case Report: Meroanencephaly is an extremely rare open neural tube under anencephaly spectrum with midline superior calvarial defect, herniation of disorganised brain parenchyma through the defect with deficient overlying skin. Anencephaly has an incidence of 0.1% on antenatal ultrasound, meroanencephaly is even rarer accounting for 3.4% cases of anencephaly. MRI is the modality of choice for complete assessment of meroanencephaly and antenatal ultrasonographic findings should be confirmed with fetal MRI.
A 35-year-old female presented for fetal MRI after suspicion of occipital encephalocele on antenatal ultrasound. MRI showed microcephaly with thin and abnormally shaped calvarium, a midline calvarial defect in the region of vertex with brain parenchyma protruding through the defect and deficient overlying skin covering. Meningeal covering was difficult to assess due to oligohydroamnios and close apposition of skull to uterine wall. There was absence of ventricular system and lack of normal supratentorial and infratentorial anatomical landmarks. Fetal face was normal. Persistent fetal thoracic kyphotic curvature was observed throughout the examination, spinal cord and spinal canal were normal with no spinal dysraphism. No other anomalies were demonstrated.
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