The Vater association and spinal dysraphia.
We here present a hereto previously undescribed association of occult spinal disorders of the distal spinal cord/filum in the Vater association. We present 6 patients who were diagnosed as having the Vater association who subsequently presented with occult spinal disorders, primarily lipomas of the filum/conus complex with or without subcutaneous lipomas. Uniformly the spinal cord was tethered to the lipoma/filum complex. Progressive neurological dysfunction was noted in those in whom the diagnosis was made late in the disease. The importance of neuroimaging of the distal spinal canal, in children in whom the diagnosis of the Vater association has been made, is emphasized to prevent insidious neurological damage if not already present.
Chestnut
R
R
Division of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.
James
H E
HE
Jones
K L
KL
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008067:Lipoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D016136:Spina Bifida Occulta / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery