Cord motion at the cervical cord (C-3) level was measured with phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 39 healthy young subjects and 34 age-matched patients with spinal dysraphism. Cord velocity curves (composed of waves I, II, and III) were made in both sagittal images and transverse images and classified into 3 types. The measurement in the sagittal images were more reproducible th...

OBJECT The authors performed spinal ultrasonography and/or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in 20 consecutive newborns with spinal strawberry nevi. METHODS In 15 patients the strawberry nevi were isolated and in five they were associated with other cutaneous markers of occult spinal dysraphism (OSD). In four of five patients with additional cutaneous markers, but in none of those without, MR i...

Intradural spinal cord teratoma is a very rare tumour that can be associated with dysraphism. The relationship of this lesion to pregnancy is unknown and its occurrence during pregnancy in the thoracic spine has not been previously reported. We report a 19-year-old pregnant woman with spinal dysraphism, who presented with a new onset thoracic myelopathy. The MRI scan showed an intradural, extra...

OBJECTIVE To observe whether microsurgical removal of medullary lipomas and untethering of the medulla is a safe and efficient procedure. METHOD A retrospective study was carried out on 38 patients with medullary lipomas associated with spinal dysraphism who underwent operations between January 1986 and January 2008, at the Neurosurgery Department of the Federal Hospital for State Public Serv...

Cutaneous markers have a crucial role in the detection and diagnosis of occult neural tube dysraphism. Recognition of these stigmata and appropriate radiologic imaging decrease the long-term morbidity of this condition.