[Mutilating ulcerative acropathy in diastematomyelia].

We report a case of diastematomyelia revealed by familial ulceration of the extremities (a unilateral, painless ulceration associated with lumbar hypertrichosis). In such cases conventional radiography may show a lumbar bony spur and widening of the interpediculate space. The diagnosis is made by myelography; CT or MRI which show duplication of the spinal cord and sometimes of the dura mater. The pathogenesis of this type of dysraphism is discussed. In our patient, surgery resulted in healing of a perforating ulcer of the foot.