Cervical encephalocele in a newborn - Chiari III malformation - Case report and review of the literature

Chiari malformations are brain stem anomalies with or without spinal canal involvement. The combination of brain stem and cerebellar anomaly with a ce rvical cele is named Chiari III malformation. Patients with this extremely rare defect frequently present with severe neurological defects and can hav e a poor prognosis. Following a report on a newborn child with a Chiari III malformation that took a fatal but typical course the literature is review ed.