Anencephaly: Is the most severe form

Anencephaly is the most severe form of cranial neural tube defect and is characterized by an absence of cortical tissue (although the brainstem and cerebellum may be variably present) as well as an absence of the cranial vault. Anencephaly is a serious birth defect. Learn about the causes and symptoms of anencephaly. This article also discusses diagnosis, outlook, and more. Anencephaly is where a baby is without parts of the brain and skull at birth. It is fatal and there is no cure or treatment. Anencephaly is a type of neural tube defect (NTD). During early pregnancy, the neural tube develops into the baby's brain and spine. Anencephaly is a condition in which major portions of the brain, skull, and scalp are absent. It is the most severe and single most common prenatally detected spinal cord (neural tube) defect (Goldstein and Filly, 1988). Although the upper portions of the brain (the cerebral hemispheres) can develop in this condition, any exposed brain tissue is eventually destroyed. As a result, the brain will appear as a bloody (hemorrhagic) mass of tissue fibers. The cerebral cortex, the portion of the ...