Diastematomyelia is a rare form of congenital spinal anomaly in which the spinal cord
is longitudinally split by a rigid or fibrous septum. Prenatal diagnosis of this condition
has mainly been reported in the mid trimester. The authors report two cases of diastematomyelia
detected at the 11–14 week scan with a brief review of literature. One case detected
in the late first trimester was associated with open spina bifida, and the other detected
at 12 weeks was a case of isolated diastematomyelia. Though the sonographic features
of diastematomyelia are the same in the first and the second trimester, the findings
are better appreciated in late first trimester as the ossification in vertebral bodies
is minimal before 12 weeks of gestation. Both of the cases presented with typical
sonographic features and the ultrasound findings correlated well with postnatal examination.
Intracranial signs were pivotal in arriving at the diagnosis of associated open spina
bifida in first trimester.
Keywords
Diastematomyelia - Bony spur - Open spina bifida - Hemicords - Spinal cord - Intracranial
translucency - First trimester ultrasound
