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MR IMAGING OF DIASTEMATOMYELIA: Report of 41 Cases

  • Ayşenur CİLA
  • Tuğra TACAL
  • Üstün AYDINGÖZ

J Turk Spinal Surg 1993;4(4):107-107

Diastematomyleia is a form of occult spinal dysraphism that could go undetected urıtil adulthood with nonspe-cific complaints and neurologic-orthopedic symptoms. 41 patients (31 females, 10 males) with ages betvveen 1-month and 36 years had X-rays, spinal MRİ and either spinal CT or myelo-CT scan. We detected 43 diastematom-yelic segments in 41 patients (two patients had two different locations with reunited spinal cord in betvveen). Bony spur was present in 27 (65%). 61% of our cases had scoliosis and 20% had complaints related to lovver extremity deformities. We conclude that the contents of the spinal canal must be carefully evaluated with cross-sectional imaging techniques such as CT, myelo-CT or MR imaging in patients with scoliosis, before surgical correction. By these studies, majör complications due to diastematomyelia can be avoided.

Keywords: Diastematomyleia, MRİ