Satya Suneetha Kommana, Venkateswarlu Machavaram, Radharani Kaki, Anuradha Bonthu, Sambasivarao Kari, Indirasri Sailaja Rednam, Sowjanya Gandi
BACKGROUND Congenital malformations of spine and spinal cord are referred to as spinal dysraphisms. They are caused by incomplete closure of neural tube around third and fourth week of embryonic development. Spinal dysraphisms are spectrum of disorders in which there is defective midline closure of neural, bony or other mesenchymal tissues. Spinal USG and MRI play an important role in determining the presence or absence of spinal dysraphism. Aims and Objectives 1. To study the role of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in neonates and infants, and to determine the degree of agreement between ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging findings. 2. To identify and classify the spectrum of lesions of spinal dysraphisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was hospital-based study conducted over a period of one year from October 2017 to September 2018. Clinical and radiological findings of 42 cases suspected of spinal dysraphisms were studied and identified. Out of 42 cases, 35 consecutive infants had spinal ultrasound done and 40 patients had follow-up MRI. Ultrasound and MRI findings were correlated retrospectively. RESULTS Statistical data analysed using percentage and data tables. Our study consists of 42 cases of suspected spinal dysraphisms in which most of them are below one month of age and most of them are females. Most common location in our study is lumbosacral and most common dysraphism is myelomeningocele. CONCLUSION Ultrasound and MRI are adjuvant in evaluating cases of spinal dysraphism. MRI is excellent in characterizing the soft tissue spinal anomalies of spinal dysraphism whereas ultrasound is an excellent initial imaging modality in infants for evaluation of spinal dysraphism. MRI imaging-based classification of spinal dysraphism helps in surgical planning and prognostication.
