An encephalocele is the result of failure of the surface ectoderm to separate from the neuroectoderm. This results in a bony defect in the skull table, which allows herniation of the meninges (cranial meningocele) or herniation of brain tissue. The occiput is the most common site of this type of neural tube defect (75%) in the United States and Western Europe. Approximately 90% of cases involve the midline