Spina Bifida Occulta (SPO) is considered the least detrimental of the Spina bifida disorders, and is estimated to affect 10-20% of the population, so clearly many people have the disorder and do not know. The children from China or other countries who have no symptoms would not be classified as having special needs. However, there are types of SPO that do have symptoms.

These are the main categories of Spina Bifida Occulta

• Thickened filum terminal: The spinal cord is too thick.
• Fatty filum terminale: There is fatty tissue at end of the spinal cord.
• Diastematomyelia (split spinal cord) and diplomyelia: The spinal cord is split in two and this split is often caused by a piece of bone.
• Dermal sinus tract: The spinal cord and the skin on the back are connected by what looks like a band of tissue.
• Tethered spinal cord in which the end of spinal cord is attached in the wrong way and, therefore, becomes stretched
• Dipomyelomeningocele and lipomeningocele where the spinal cord is attached to a fatty tumor [1] Continue reading →