Case report: CT findings in lumbosacral agenesis

This case describes a newborn paraplegic male with lumbosacral agenesis and related congenital anomalies, including bilateral hip dislocations, arthrogryposis, talipes equinovarus, as well as neurogenic bladder with urine incontinence. An extra-dural tumor, surgically excised and diagnosed as a lipoma, was identified on computed transaxial scans to be adjacent to an abruptly terminating dural sac. Caudal to the sac the scans demonstrated partial fatty replacement of muscle bundles and direct articulation of the iliac wings. A follow-up myelogram delineated the subarachnoid space, but could not distinguish the tumor from a deformed sac secondary to lumbar defects. Computed tomography is thus recommended as part of the general radiologic protocol for fully evaluating the spatial orientation and anomalies of this spinal defect.