| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2012 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 3 | Page : 167-170 |
Split cord malformation with dorsally located bony spur: Report of four cases and review of literature
GL Prasad, Sachin A Borkar, GD Satyarthee, AK Mahapatra
Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Correspondence Address:
A K Mahapatra
Department of Neurosurgery, Room No 720, 7th Floor, C N Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi - 110 029
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/1817-1745.106469
Split cord malformations (SCM) with a dorsally located bony spur are a very rare entity. The authors report a series of four such cases. The literature is reviewed regarding the pathogenesis and management of this uncommon variant of SCM. The presenting features include - scoliosis with motor and autonomic dysfunction (n = 1), scoliosis with cutaneous patch (n = 1), hypertrichotic area (n = 1), and motor deficits alone (n = 1). The location of spur was thoracic and lumbar in two patients (50%) each. Low-lying conus was present in three patients. Long segment syrinx was present in one patient. With respect to the bony anomalies, two patients had a hypertrophied posterior arch (HPA) and one patient had a dysraphic spine. All patients underwent surgical excision of the spur with detethering, if a low-lying conus was present. Two patients developed transient worsening of the neurological status after surgery which recovered at the time of the last follow-up; in both these patients, there was a HPA and a low-lying conus. Surgical excision of the spur with detethering of filum, in cases of low-lying conus, is the treatment of choice. Risk of post-operative worsening of the neurological status is increased in cases in which there is concomitant presence of HPA.
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