Posterior resection and fusion of a lumbosacral hemivertebra in a case of dipygus.
Dipygus or pygomelia is an incomplete form of twinning due to the incomplete division of the embryonic disc. This extremely rare condition consists in the presence of an accessory limb that generally inserts into the buttock or perineum. Associated anomalies such as duplication of the genitourinary or the intestinal tract are frequent, and recurrently appear associated with spinal anomalies such as congenital scoliosis due to hemivertebra. We present our experience with a 20-year-old girl, the first and only case of dipygus recorded and treated in Switzerland, who came to us complaining of increasing low back pain along with a progressive congenital scoliosis due to the presence of a hemivertebra between L5 and S1, which was removed in a single stage exclusively through a posterior approach.
Spine Unit, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Crta Canyet s/n, Badalona, 08916, Spain, chemacavanilles@gmail.com.
Jose M
JM
Cavanilles-Walker
Markus W
MW
Kröber
D000328:Adult; D002081:Buttocks / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038061:Lower Extremity Deformities, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D010388:Pelvis / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D013557:Switzerland; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult