We treated a male infant with occipital meningoencephalocele associate
d with the taking of Tripterygium wilfordii. The infant was delivered
normally at 38 weeks of gestation with a huge cystic mass protruding f
rom the occiput, He was diagnosed with occipital meningoencephalocele
and cerebellar agenesis, His mother had taken T. wilfordii for rheumat
oid arthritis early in her pregnancy, T. wilfordii is a herbal medicin
e used for rheumatoid arthritis and male contraception, Since its toxi
city is high and its use during pregnancy is restricted, it is the mos
t likely cause of this infant's anomalies.