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Pseudomeningocele

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology

Synonyms

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulas; Meningocele spurious; Pseudocyst; Spinal pseudomeningocele

Definition and Overview

Pseudomeningoceles (PM) are a result of a fault in the dural arachnoid layer leading to the accumulation of CSF in the extradural space. The natural pulsations of the CSF further push the PM into the surrounding soft tissue, affecting the size, shape, and location of the lesion. These rare collections of CSF can be the result of iatrogenic, traumatic, or congenital defects, the former being the most common etiology. The vast majority of PM are asymptomatic; however, a wide range of symptoms including headaches, lower back pain, and radiculopathy can also occur. Neither short- nor long-term cognitive consequences have been reported as a result of this condition. PM have in the past been referred to by various names including “pseudocyst,” “meningocele spurious,” and in some cases “meningiocele” (Miller and Elder 1968; Pau 1974; Steinbok et al. 2007). The terms...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

    Samantha Knight

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  1. Samantha Knight
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Correspondence to Samantha Knight .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Jeffrey S. Kreutzer

  2. Kessler Foundation, Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ, USA

    John DeLuca

  3. Independent Practice, Wynnewood, PA, USA

    Bruce Caplan

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Knight, S. (2018). Pseudomeningocele. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_9036

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