Anencephaly: Is a condition that prevents the

Anencephaly is a condition that prevents the normal development of the brain and the bones of the skull. Explore symptoms, inheritance, genetics of this condition. Anencephaly is the most severe form of cranial neural tube defect and is characterized by an absence of cortical tissue (although the brainstem and cerebellum may be variably present) as well as an absence of the cranial vault. Anencephaly is a serious birth defect that affects the development of a baby's brain and skull. It is a neural tube defect (NTD) that occurs when the upper part of the neural tube does not close completely. This condition results in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. Anencephaly is a condition in which major portions of the brain, skull, and scalp are absent. It is the most severe and single most common prenatally detected spinal cord (neural tube) defect (Goldstein and Filly, 1988). Although the upper portions of the brain (the cerebral hemispheres) can develop in this condition, any exposed brain tissue is eventually destroyed. As a result, the brain will appear as a bloody (hemorrhagic) mass of tissue fibers. The cerebral cortex, the portion of the ...