Medical complication in adults with spina bifida.
SETTING
Cohort study.


INTRODUCTION
Spina bifida (SB) is a congenital malformation affecting the central nervous system (CNS) and is one of the most prevalent CNS disorders in children. Hydrocephalus (HC) is present in 80% of newborns with SB. The aim of the present study was to analyze the medical complications and to relate the complications to age at examination, the level of injury, AIS grade and presence of HC in adults with SB.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
SB patients were recruited from the Spinalis out-patient clinic at the Karolinska University Hospital at their annual follow-up. The patients underwent a thorough general and neurological examination and background data including medical complications were retrieved from the medical files.


RESULTS
127 of 157 (82%) SB patients (114 with MMC and 13 SB occulta) with a mean age of 34 years were included. Half of the patients had a complete SCI and a lumbar level was most common. Nearly 60% of the patients had HC. 88 patients (69%) suffered from at least one medical complication. Urinary tract infection (UTI), scoliosis and pain were the most common complications found in 46%, 30% and 28% of the patients, respectively. Less common complications were epilepsy, pressure ulcers (PU) and spasticity.


DISCUSSION
SB gives a disability including motor, sensory dysfunctions and the patients suffer from a high frequency of medical complications like UTI, scoliosis, pain, and epilepsy. Data gives basis for adequate routines for medical examination at the follow-up.
['Werhagen|L|L|', 'Gabrielsson|H|H|', 'Westgren|N|N|', 'Borg|K|K|']
D000328:Adult D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis D001794:Blood Pressure D015331:Cohort Studies D003920:Diabetes Mellitus D004827:Epilepsy D005260:Female D005500:Follow-Up Studies D006801:Humans D006849:Hydrocephalus D006973:Hypertension D008607:Intellectual Disability D008297:Male D009128:Muscle Spasticity D009422:Nervous System Diseases D009437:Neuralgia D009460:Neurologic Examination D003668:Pressure Ulcer D015995:Prevalence D012600:Scoliosis D016135:Spinal Dysraphism D013548:Sweden D014552:Urinary Tract Infections
Spina bifida Hydrocephalus Urinary tract infection Epilepsy Pressure sores