Spina bifida cystica is another term used for which condition?

• A. Spina bifida occulta
• B. Meningocele
• C. Spinal dysraphism
• D. Myelomeningocele

Answer: (D)

Spina bifida cystica refers to the cystic forms of neural tube defects where a sac protrudes through a defect in the spine. The most characteristic form described by this term involves herniation of spinal cord tissue along with meninges in a sac, known as myelomeningocele. In this form, neural elements are part of the sac and there are typically neurological deficits below the level of the lesion, along with other associated problems like hydrocephalus or Chiari II.

A meningocoele is also a cystic form but contains meninges and CSF without spinal cord tissue, so it is not the classic entity implied by spina bifida cystica. Spina bifida occulta is a closed defect without a protruding sac, and spinal dysraphism is a broader category that includes both occult and cystic forms.