[Occult spinal dysraphia with urologic manifestations in adults. 6 cases]

Six adults, including one woman, with an average age of 23 years, presented with urinary disorders associating dysuria and partial incontinence, which had been developing for an average of seven years. A diagnosis of occult spinal dysraphia (two fixed spinal cords and four spinal lipomas) was based on clinical examination (neurological and cutaneous signs), and radiology (myelography). A neurosurgical management provided satisfactory freeing of the spinal cord in three cases. In the other three, all that could be achieved was decompression, with no improvement in the urinary disorders. It is important for urologists to be aware of this cause of dysuria, in order to be able to initiate an early treatment and avoid repeated urological operations, which may ultimately lead to a cutaneous derivation of the urine.