A congenital dermal sinus presenting the muscle fasciculation and hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVE

To report unique and unknown clinical features of muscle fasciculation and muscle hypertrophy in a case of congenital dermal sinus.

PATIENTS

A 16-year-old girl presented with continuous fasciculation, often cramp, and hypertrophy of the left calf muscle. The radiography showed spina bifida of L4, L5 and S1. MRI revealed dermal sinus tract from the skin dimple of the back to the dura mater, and connected to the intradural inclusion tumor. At surgery the inclusion tumor contained many short hairs, and the cauda equina were severely adherent. Microdissection of the tumor and the adhesion was performed. At 2 years after surgery fasciculation decreased but continued; however, painful cramps of the calf muscle do not occur.

CONCLUSIONS

Short hairs of dermoid and the adherence might be irritative to the cauda equina. The hyperactivity of the stimulated motor neuron may cause the muscle fasciculation leading to hypertrophy of the calf muscle.