Occult spinal dysraphism in infants: screening with high-resolution real-time ultrasound.

Spinal dysraphism refers to incomplete embryologic development of the dorsal midline. Frequently it is not clinically obvious, and lack of treatment can lead to progressive neurological damage. Early diagnosis of occult defects can allow appropriate surgical intervention and prevent neurological deficits. The authors have used high-resolution real-time ultrasound to screen infants with various cutaneous lumbosacral markers, all of whom were at risk of occult spinal dysraphism. Preliminary results suggest that ultrasound is a reliable screening procedure and could obviate the need for more costly and invasive tests.