Butterfly Vertebra

Abstract

A 41-year-old man with low back pain and lumbar disc disease was found to have L-3 butterfly vertebra on imaging studies as an incidental finding. This uncommon congenital anomaly of the vertebral column is usually asymptomatic and of no clinical significance. Awareness of this deformity and its imaging features is important diagnostically.

A medieval example of a sagittal cleft or ‘butterfly’ vertebra

“…In the latter, the typical skeletal manifestations, osteoporosis and undertubulation of limb bones, were not demonstrable (Silverman & Kuhn, 1993: 921-922). Clinically, incidental findings of 'butterfly' vertebrae, all involving male lumbar vertebrae (Table 1), are known (Brasili et al, 1999;Delgado et al, 1996;Sonel et al, 2001). Some 13.4% of patients with congenital kyphosis can attribute the problem to a sagittal cleft vertebrae (McMaster & Singh, 1999).…”

Butterfly vertebra: a case report

“…There have been reports of butterfly vertebra cases associated with disc protrusion or herniation of nucleus pulposus at the abnormal vertebral body level (5,(9)(10)(11).…”

Congenital ‘butterfly vertebra’ associated with low back pain: a case report

“…Butterfly vertebra was first described in 1844, and is known variously as: cleft vertebra, sagittal cleft vertebra, anterior rachischisis, anterior somatoschisis, and anterior spina bifida. 3,4 It typically appears in the lumbar spine, and may occur either as an independent anomaly or associated with a syndrome of anomalous deformities affecting other skeletal regions and/or other systems; particularly the gastro-intestinal, genito-urinary, and central nervous systems. 3 It may be associated with kyphoscoliosis.…”