Atretic cephalocele associated with sinus pericranii: a single-center analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to investigate the association of atretic cephalocele (AC) with sinus pericranii (SP) in order to improve the management of AC.

Methods: Pediatric patients with AC who underwent repair surgeries were retrospectively analyzed. Anomalies including SP were evaluated using computed tomography angiography and venography (CTA/V) as well as magnetic resonance imaging.

Results: Fourteen patients were identified, comprising of 5 males and 9 females. The AC was located interparietally in 8 cases and occipitally in 6 cases. Seven cases (50%) were found to be associated with SP, all of which did not involve major intracranial venous circulation. Five out of 8 parietal ACs (63%) were accompanied by SP, while 2 out of 6 occipital ACs (33%) exhibited SP. All of the SP associated with AC only contributed to a small portion of the venous outflow, and the repair surgeries were successfully performed without excessive bleeding.

Conclusion: More than half of the ACs were associated with SP, with a higher prevalence in the parietal region compared to the occipital region. For the appropriate management of AC, preoperative investigation of SP using CT venography is considered important.