Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Vertebral abnormality without spine-curvature deformity on prenatal ultrasonography: sonographic findings and postnatal radiographic correlations

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Medical Ultrasonics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 07 August 2017

This article has been updated

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate prenatal US features and postnatal radiographic findings of fetuses with a sonographically detected vertebral abnormality (VA) without spine-curvature deformity (SCD).

Methods

Twenty-six fetuses showing a VA without SCD on prenatal US at our ultrasound center for a 5-year period were retrospectively identified and evaluated for sonographic data and coexisting anomalies. Medical records and postnatal radiographs of all 16 live births were reviewed.

Results

Coexisting major anomalies were suspected prenatally in 8/26 fetuses (30.8%). Sonographic abnormalities were noted in the vertebral body in 27/31 (87.1%) and in the posterior element in 4/31 (12.9%). US features were absent (n = 2) or small vertebral body echo (n = 21), two separate vertebral body echoes (n = 4), or smaller or lobulated posterior arch echoes (n = 4). Among 16 live-born neonates, postnatal radiographs revealed a vertebral abnormality in 20 (95.2%) of 21 prenatally detected VA without SCD. The abnormalities were vertebral body hypoplasia (18/19) with an incomplete sagittal cleft, asymmetric/unilateral hypoplasia, or hypoplasia with a complete sagittal cleft; or abnormalities in the spinous process (2/2).

Conclusions

Most fetuses with prenatally detected VA without SCD had hypoplastic vertebrae on postnatal radiographs. Prenatal recognition of VA without SCD can lead to an early postnatal diagnosis of a vertebral abnormality and guidance for follow-up.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

  • 07 August 2017

    An erratum to this article has been published.

References

  1. Wax JR, Watson WJ, Miller RC, et al. Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of hemivertebrae; associations and outcomes. J Ultrasound Med. 2008;27:1023–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Weisz B, Achiron R, Schindler A, et al. Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of hemivertebra. J Ultrasound Med. 2004;23:853–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Zelop C, Pretorius D, Benacerraf B. Fetal hemivertebrae: associated anomalies, significance, and outcome. Obstet Gynecol. 1993;81:412–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Goldstein I, Makhoul IR, Weissman A, et al. Hemivertebra: prenatal diagnosis, incidence and characteristics. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2005;20:121–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Basude S, McDermott L, Newell S, et al. Fetal hemivertebra: associations and perinatal outcome. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2015;45:434–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Harrison LA, Pretorius DH, Budorick NE. Spine-curvature deformity. J Ultrasound Med. 1992;11:473–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Youssef A, Zagonari S, Salsi G, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of isolated butterfly vertebra. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2014;44:725–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ouyang YS, Zhang YX, Meng H, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of a unilateral hypoplastic vertebral arch by 2- and 3-dimensional sonography. J Ultrasound Med. 2011;30:277–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Wei Q, Cai A, Wang X, et al. Value of 3-dimensional sonography for prenatal diagnosis of vertebral formation failure. J Ultrasound Med. 2013;32:595–607.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Castori M, Servadei F, Laino L, et al. Axial skeletogenesis in human autosomal aneuploidies: a radiographic study of 145 second trimester fetuses. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2016;170:676–87.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Dias MS. Normal and abnormal development of the spine. Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2007;18:415–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Muller F, O’Rahilly R, Benson DR. The early origin of vertebral anomalies, as illustrated by a “butterfly vertebra”. J Anat. 1986;149:157–69.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Hopkins RM. Congenital ‘butterfly vertebra’ associated with low back pain: a case report. J Man Manip Ther. 2015;23(2):93–100.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Westvik J, Lachman RS. Coronal and sagittal clefts in skeletal dysplasias. Pediatr Radiol. 1998;28:764–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Achter A, Hager T, Fimmers R, et al. New osseous soft markers for trisomy 13, 18 and 21. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2016;294:251–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Doberentz E, Schumacher R, Gembruch U, et al. Coronal vertebral clefts: a radiological indicator for chromosomal aberrations. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2013;16:1–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Bollini G, Launay F, Docquier PL, et al. Congenital abnormalities associated with hemivertebrae in relation to hemivertebrae location. J Pediatr Orthop B. 2010;19:90–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Cheil General Hospital and Women’s Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, 17, Seoae-ro-1-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-380, South Korea

    Mi Jin Song & Young-Hwa Kim

Authors
  1. Mi Jin Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Young-Hwa Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Young-Hwa Kim.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical statements

The Institutional Review Board of our hospital approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for informed consent.

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-017-0810-9.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Song, M.J., Kim, YH. Vertebral abnormality without spine-curvature deformity on prenatal ultrasonography: sonographic findings and postnatal radiographic correlations. J Med Ultrasonics 45, 89–95 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-017-0790-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-017-0790-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation