meningocele /mining″gōsēl′/ [Gk, meninx + kele, hernia] , a saclike protrusion of either the cerebral or spinal meninges through a congenital defect in the skull or the vertebral column. It forms a hernial cyst that is filled with cerebrospinal fluid but does not contain neural tissue. The anomaly is designated a cranial meningocele or spinal meningocele, depending on the site of the defect. It can be easily repaired by surgery. See also myelomeningocele, neural tube defect.
