Parietal Intradiploic Encephalocele: Case Report

A 66-year-old man presented with a parietal intradiploic encephalocele manifesting as dizziness in June 2001. Skull radiography showed lytic change involving the right parietal bone. Computed tomography with bone window showed bone destruction associated with the right frontal lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a lesion in the parietal intradiploic space continuous with the right frontal lobe. The lesion was located near the central sulcus, so surgical biopsy carried the risk of motor dysfunction. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) showed the same pattern of cerebral blood flow as normal brain tissue, so the neuroimaging diagnosis was encephalocele. The present case indicates that surgery may not be necessary in the absence of symptoms and neurological deficits. SPECT is very useful to identify encephalocele.