Second-trimester ultrasonographic diagnosis of segmental vertebral abnormalities associated with neurological deficit: a possible new variant of occult spinal dysraphism.

Sonographic evaluation of the fetal spine in a second-trimester, low-risk patient revealed segmentary, low thoracic vertebral abnormalities, including hemi- and butterfly vertebrae, resulting in severe fetal scoliosis with fetal paraplegia and bilateral club-feet. X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging studies of the abortus confirmed the prenatal vertebral findings in addition to rib defects and transection of the spinal cord. We believe that these findings which, to the best of our knowledge, have not been previously reported, represent a new variant of occult spinal dysraphism.