Sacral dimple
Sacral dimples are a clinical and radiological feature that is associated with occult spinal dysraphism (e.g. tethered cord syndrome) but are more frequently a non-significant isolated finding.
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Epidemiology
Common in healthy children (~5%) 1.
Pathology
Simple sacral dimples have the following features 1:
- <5 mm in diameter
- <2.5 cm from the anus
- midline without visible drainage
- not associated with other cutaneous stigmata of spinal dysraphism (e.g. hairy tuft, rudimentary tail, haemangioma)
Radiographic features
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is the most commonly used modality, as well as being the modality of choice in neonatal assessment. It is used to assess whether there is any communication with the vertebral column / spinal canal.
Differential diagnosis
Related articles
Congenital spinal abnormalities
- anatomy
- cord
- canal
-
spinal dysraphism
- dorsal dermal sinus
- meningocele
- lipomyelomeningocoele
- myelomeningocoele
- neural tube defect
- rachischisis
- sacral dimple
- spina bifida
- tethered cord (occult spinal dysraphism sequence )
- thickened filum terminale
- vertebra