Congenital dermal sinus cutaneous abnormalities, infection, and neurological deficits. Congenital dermal sinus is a tract from the surface layer of the skin, through the deeper tissues into the cranial or spinal cavity. The skin findings of this tract can include: The stratified squamous epithelium of the congenital dermal sinus tract can extend to the spinal fascia of the dura mater or all the way to the spinal cord. Thus, the congenital dermal sinus forms a point of entry for infection, this can allow for the formation of an abscess. Infection can then travel up the spinal cord to result in meningitis, which can
Congenital dermal sinus pervasive use and availability of advanced methods of neuroimaging, it is possible that the rate of incidence of congenital dermal sinus has been supplemented by the incidence of coccygeal pits. Coccygeal pits are distinct from congenital dermal sinus as they are found within the gluteal cleft, rather than above the gluteal cleft. The caudally orientated coccygeal pits are not associated with intradural pathology and do not need to be excised, unlike the cephalically oriented tracts of the congenital dermal sinus which confer great intradural pathology and require surgical intervention. While coccygeal pits occur in 4% of neonate population, congenital dermal