Six cases of occult sacral meningocele

BACKGROUND: Intrasacral occult sacral meningoceles (OSM) are uncommon congenital lesions that rarely become symptomatic, even over a patient’s life time. METHODS: We operated on six patients with symptomatic OSM diagnosed on MR studies (all six) and/or CT examinations (four cases). RESULTS: All six patients had uneventful postoperative recoveries. Nevertheless, despite the resolution of low back pain and radiculopathy, preoperative bladder dysfunction improved postoperatively in only one patient. CONCLUSION: Few cases of patients undergoing surgery for symptomatic OSM are reported in the literature. Here, we recount our experience with six patients with symptomatic OSM who demonstrated significant postoperative neurological recoveries except for rare improvement in bladder function.