Congenital occipital encephalocele in an infant

Black and white photograph showing a congenital occipital encephalocele. The patient was an infant of two months. The encephalocele was excised, but the child died shortly after the operation. The autopsy showed that the herniated brain-matter came through a hole of about half an inch in diameter, situated two inches below the upper extremity of the occipital bone. The cavity of the encephalocele communicated with the lateral ventricles. The foramen magnum was partially deficient behind, as were the arches of the atlas and axis vetrebrae. The cerebellum lay in a funnel shaped depression formed by this deficiency.