Gross anatomical study of congenital meningoencephalocoele and craniofacial deformities in a kid

Occurrence of congenital anomalies are less common in small ruminants, especially in goats compared to sheep. Most common cause for the congenital deformities in new born ruminants is due to the ingestion of toxic plants during gestation. Congenital meningoencephalocoele with associated craniofacial deformities is a rare occurrence in goats.

A day old crossbred kid was presented with cranial defects and protrusion of brain through the defect. Detailed examination of the animal revealed cranioschisis in the frontal and parietal region along with presence of cleft lip, cleft palate and accessory ear lobe on the right side. Herniation of meninges and brain was exposed directly and was not covered by skin. There were two parietal cranial defects separated by a plate of bone.

Postmortem examination of the animal showed bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate with lateral deviation of nasal septum and deformation of premaxillary region. On reflection of skin over the frontal region, revealed frontal cranioschisis and the brain was situated subcutaneously. There were total of three cranial defects (two in the parietal and one in the frontal region) separated by small plates of bone in between them. This present study explains the anatomical aspects of cranioschisis, meningoencephalocoele, cleft lip, cleft palate and associated craniofacial abnormalities in a day old kid.