title: Coronal and sagittal clefts in skeletal dysplasias.
abstract: Objective. To assess the role of coronal and sagittal vertebral clefts in diagnosing skeletal dysplasias. Material and Methods. A search in the database at the International Skeletal Dysplasia Registry revealed 40 different diagnoses in which coronal or sagittal clefts were present, the major groups being: atelosteogenesis, chondrodysplasia punctata, dyssegmental dysplasia, Kniest dysplasia and short rib polydactyly syndrome. We reviewed all firm cases with both AP and lateral films of the spine in these major groups (n = 143), with patients' ages ranging from 20 weeks of gestation up to 26 years of age. Results. Ninety-four percent of all clefts were found in children less than 1 year of age, mainly located in the thoracolumbar region. Fifty-six percent of the clefts were observed in boys. Coronal clefts were more common than sagittal clefts. Clefts were most frequently observed in atelosteogenesis (88%), followed by chondrodysplasia punctata (79%), dyssegmental dysplasia (73%), Kniest dysplasia (63%) and short rib polydactyly syndrome (53%). Conclusion. Vertebral clefts are of major diagnostic value in the groups mentioned above, especially before 1 year of age. The search did not come up with new entities in which vertebral clefts are of major diagnostic value.
authors.affiliation: Section of Paediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, Rikshospitalet, University of Oslo, N-0027 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westvik
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Lachman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010009:Osteochondrodysplasias / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology