Nasal encephaloceles presenting at later ages: experience of otorhinolaryngology department at a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan.

Encephaloceles are anomalous herniations of the meninges, with or without brain matter. Globally the incidence of encephalocele is about 1 per 35,000 births, but it is more frequently reported in Southeast Asia. As the defect is more pertinent to embryological development, an encephalocele is a more common entity in an infant with a mean age of presentation ranging between 15.5 and 21 months; making an encephalocele presenting for the first time in a relatively, older individual a rare occurrence. Consequently a surgeon might not consider an encephalocele among his differentials. Here we present a series of encephaloceles that presented at a later than usual age as nasal masses to the otorhinolaryngology department of our hospital, and recommend that the differential of encephalocele be entertained for nasal masses as proceeding with routine procedures may result in potentially lethal complications.