*     Ultrasound Division, ASL Roma B, Rome, Italy;
**   Department of Prenatal Diagnosis, Fetal-Maternal Medical Centre "Artemisia" Rome, Italy;
*** Ultrasound Division, Ceprano Hospital, Ceprano, Italy.

Case report

This is a case of a 27 years old G10P1, referring the child-birth of a healthy boy and 8 spontaneous abortions occurring at 11-16 weeks of gestation. Her previous investigations did not reveal a cause of her recurrent abortions.

Her first ultrasound examination was performed elsewhere at 9 weeks and was reported to be normal. Neither double nor triple test were done. Biometry was consistent with amenorrhea. Current examination was performed at 16 weeks and revealed:

• angulation of the vertebral spine at the lumbosacral area where a hemivertebra acting as a bony wedge was seen;
• both legs moved well and there were no talipes present;
• kidneys looked hyperechoic with no corticomedullary differentiation and slight pyelectasia.

The couple opted for pregnancy interruption but unfortunately we have no autopsy findings.

Images 1, 2: 16 weeks of pregnancy; the images show normal fetal profile (Image 1) and normal posterior fossa of the fetal skull (Image 2).

Images 3, 4: 16 weeks of pregnancy; the images show normal fetal legs.

Images 3, 4: 16 weeks of pregnancy; the images show mild pyelectasis and lightly hyperechoic fetal kidneys.

Images 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9: 16 weeks of pregnancy - hemivertebra; the images show angulated fetal spine in the lumbosacral area due to the hemivertebra (arrows on the images 7-9).

Video 1, 2: 16 weeks of pregnancy - hemivertebra; the videos show angulated fetal spine in the lumbosacral area due to the hemivertebra.