[Diastematomyelia--a harmless finding or cause of late neurological disturbance? (author's transl)].

Diastematomyelia is said to produce neurological lesions. Several new cases of diastematomyelia are reported without any neurological defect. They are discussed and compared with similar cases from the literature. Apparently the fixation of the spinal cord by diastematomyelia seems not to be the primary cause of the "tethering cord syndrome". Other conditions which are sometimes associated with diastematomyelia (myelodysplasia, dysraphia of the spinal cord etc.) may be the primary cause of progressive neurological lesions.