Congenital Frontoethmoidal Encephalocele: A Case Report

Frontoethmoidal encephalocele is a rare neural tube defect in our community, but commonly seen in South-east Asia, less commonly in the western countries, where encephalocoele is more common in the occipital regions. Presentation of frontoethmoidal encephalocoele is swelling over the nasal bridge or between the inner canthi of the eyes since birth with a degree of hypertelorism. Diagnosis of frontoethmoidal encephalocele may pose a diagnostic dilemma due to multiple differential diagnoses which include fronto-ethmoidal sinus mucocele, haemangiomas, and gliomas. This paper emphasizes the importance of axial imaging, which includes computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in the diagnosis of this condition, where early surgical intervention is needed to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with this congenital anomaly.