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Antenatal diagnosis of spinal lipomas
A Thorne1, A Pierre-Kahn, P Sonigo
1Service de Neurochirurgie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75743 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Object:
The purpose of this study was to highlight the key prenatal diagnostic features of fetal spinal lipomas.
Methods And Results:
All fetuses in whom a spinal lipoma was suspected prenatally or diagnosed postnatally were included in the study. Lumbosacral lipoma was diagnosed in 16 fetuses (group 1), but at birth 3 of these were found to have other forms of occult dysraphism. In 2 other fetuses (group 2) a meningocele was suspected but at birth these lesions were found to be lumbosacral lipomas. The lipomas were covering large meningoceles in 13 fetuses and filling the cul-de-sac in 2 others. Three sets of parents decided on termination. Of the 13 children born with a spinal lipoma, 9 were operated on and 4 were managed conservatively. At the last follow-up, 7 were neurologically intact.
Conclusion:
The distinction between meningomyelocele and spinal lipoma is possible antenatally. The differential diagnosis between lipoma and the other forms of occult dysraphism is more difficult.