A study on radiological evaluation on spinal dysraphism

Abstract

Background: Spinal dysraphism (SD) are a heterogeneous group of disorders arising due to incomplete fusion of the dorsal aspects of spine and spinal cord. Radiological evaluation using MRI and Helical CT aids in assessing the type of defect and plan for the treatmentMaterials and Methodology: A total of 50 patients with spinal dysraphisms who were referred to the Department of Radiology, Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences and Research Centre,LB Nagar over a period of 18 months, i.e. May 2018 to October 2019 were included in the studyResults: Most of the study subjects were females. Majority of the patients were aged between 1-5 years. Swelling over lower back is the most common presenting complaint. Open spinal dysraphisms were more common than closed SDs. Myelomeningocele was the most common observed SD and most common open SD. Spinal Lipoma was the most common closed SD.Conclusion: Helical CT scan and MRI are the imaging modalities of choice in evaluation of spinal dysraphism. MRI is useful in imaging of the neural structures and Helical CT is useful in evaluation of bony abnormalities of the spine.