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Spina bifida with myelomeningocele

Albana Cerekja, MD, PhD*, Juan Piazze MD, PhD**

Article Published: Oct 5, 2010

*  Ultrasound Division, ASL Roma B, Rome, Italy.
** Ultrasound Division, Ceprano Hospital, Ceprano, Italy.

Case report

This is a case of a 28-year-old patient G1 P0 with non-contributive personal and family history. She had no history of drug abuse in the first trimester. First ultrasound examination performed at 13 weeks was unremarkable and fetal biometry was consistent with length of amenorrhea.

Ultrasound scan at 20 weeks detected a spinal defect, myelomeningocele, at lumbo-sacral level. Surprisingly, there were no other findings secondary to the spinal defect, no lemon sign or banana sign – Arnold Chiari type II, no ventriculomegaly.

The patient was referred to the tertiary center which confirmed our diagnosis of myelomeningocele with spina bifida. Parents opted for pregnancy termination after an extensive genetic counseling.

Images 1,2: Sagittal view of the spine showing a defect at the lumbo-sacral region (arrow)

Spina_bifida_Albana_1
Spina_bifida_Albana_2


Images 3,4: Image 3 shows coronal scan of the spinal defect (arrow). Image 4 shows a transverse view of the defect of the vertebral arch with protruding spinal cord.

Spina_bifida_Albana_3
Spina_bifida_Albana_4


Images 5,6: Image 5 shows a transverse view of the meningomyelocele. Image 6 shows a coronal view of the herniated cystic structure containing spinal cord.

Spina_bifida_Albana_5
Spina_bifida_Albana_6


Images 7: Axial view of the fetal head, note normal cerebellum and posterior fossa.

Spina_bifida_Albana_7


Videos 1- 4: Videso showing spinal defect in coronal, sagittal and transverse view.

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