Cutaneous signs of spinal dysraphism. Report of a patient with a tail-like lipoma and review of 200 cases in the literature

Abstract

The term "spinal dysraphism" was coined in 1940 by Dr Lichtenstein to designate incomplete fusion or malformations of structures in the dorsal midline of the back, particularly congenital abnormalities of the vertebral column and spinal cord. Raphes develop on the face and head, brancheal arches, sternum, and spinal column. When dysraphism occurs in these sites, failure of closure of fontanelles, cleft lip and palate, brancheal cysts, and abnormalities of the ribs and spine result. A review of 200 cases of occult spinal dysraphism showed the condition to be more common in female patient and to be associated with cutaneous signs in more than 50% of instances. The age at which neurologic symptoms appeared in recorded cases is from birth to 76 years, the average being three years. A case of spinal dysraphism with a tail-like cutaneous structure is presented. The cutaneous manifestations accompanying spinal dysraphism that may lead to early recognition of this syndrome and early institution of treatment are discussed.

A case report with sacral appendage: Is it accessory penis or human tail?

“…In a report of 200 cases by Tavafoghi et al 9 , the spinal dysraphism was shown to be a condition associated with cutaneous signs in more than 50% of instances. In our case, no other accompanying anomalies except for slight hypertrichosis drew attention on lumbar region.…”

A Case of Faun Tail Naevus Treated by Intense Pulsed Light

“…Sacral hypertrichosis is also known as faun tail naevus, and this is the most common skin lesion that is evident at birth 11 , as was seen in our patient. Hairy patches are most frequently associated with tethered cord and diastematomyelia 12 . Although our case demonstrated no underlying neurologic problem associated with his localized hypertrichosis, accurate screening modalities such as MRI are necessary to detect any underlying dysraphic anomalies and to prevent the occurrence or progression of the neurologic deficit by timely intervention before neurological damage has occurred.…”

Human Tail with Noncontiguous Intraspinal Lipoma and Spinal Cord Tethering:Case Report and Embryologic Discussion

“…They may be in the midline or off to one side, and rarely is there a history of family members born with a tail. There is a high rate of associated abnormalities of the skin, including hypertrichosis, hyperpigmentation, dermal sinus tracts and hemangiomas [16]. Lu et al [3]reviewed the literature on human tails between 1960 and 1997 and found 59 cases.…”