Anencephaly is a complicated and perplexing situation

• Main Authors: Soe, Lwin, Tin Moe, Nwe, Khin Than, Yee, Myat, San Yi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: A and v publication 2022
• Subjects: RG Gynecology and obstetrics
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/38602/3/Anencephaly%20-%20Copy.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/38602/; https://www.rjptonline.org/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2022-15-5-29
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Anencephaly means simply no brain or acrania. To be precise, it is a congenital absence of the skull, scalp, and forebrain (cerebral hemispheres). It was categorized under neural tube defects (NTD). As a whole, NTD is the second most common fatal anomaly after cardiac defects. The neural tube defects are a group of central nervous system ailments, which result from the failure of normal primary neurulation, an embryologic process completes in humans by almost day 26-28 the post- conception. In this case, the normal closure of the anterior neuropore fails, which results in anencephaly. The case report demonstrates the clinical experience that would broaden our knowledge of this uncommon but distressing and dilemmatic event. We highlighted the ultrasound features to recognize the condition by first and second-trimester scans and the role of folic acid in the prevention of further occurrence. The diagnosis was confirmed anencephaly with formal ultrasound from the radiologist, who reported no definite brain parenchyma noted, the head was small in size, and the patient was informed about the condition and its prognosis. The reported case was found to be rare and clinicians emphasized the contribution of professional guidance for its management since the case is critical and the ethical concerns need careful handling to avoid adverse psychosocial outcomes such as grief, guilt, anxiety, and loss of self-confidence. KEYWORDS: Anencephaly, Neural tube defect, Folic acid