Incidental frontal encephalocele

An incidental frontal encephalocele is an abnormality of the skull in which a sac-like structure containing brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protrudes through a defect in the frontal region of the skull. An incidental encephalocele is one that is discovered by chance during imaging studies done for other reasons.

There is a rare association between frontal encephaloceles and epilepsy, where patients with encephaloceles may present with seizures. The exact mechanism of this association is not clear, but it is thought that the presence of brain tissue within the encephalocele sac may cause abnormal electrical activity that leads to seizures.

However, it is important to note that not all patients with an incidental frontal encephalocele will develop epilepsy or other neurological symptoms. In fact, many patients with incidental encephaloceles are asymptomatic and the encephalocele is discovered incidentally during imaging studies for other reasons.