G. Worley et al., SURVIVAL AT 5 YEARS OF A COHORT OF NEWBORN-INFANTS WITH MYELOMENINGOCELE, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 38(9), 1996, pp. 816-822
Over a nine-year period, 63 viable newborns with myelomeningocele were
consecutively treated, of whom 11 (17%) developed brainstem symptoms
assessed to be potentially life-threatening. All 11 underwent brainste
m decompression by cervical laminectomy with stent placement between t
he fourth ventricle and the spinal subarachnoid space, at a median age
of 8 months. 86% survived to 60 months of age. Those with brainstem d
ysfunction had a significantly greater mortality than those without, d
espite aggressive neurosurgical management by brainstem decompression.