Presentation
Presented with upper back skin tag since birth.
Patient Data
Dermal sinus tract extends from the skin surface to the thoracic spinal cord opposite T3 via the widened T2/3 interspinous space, the thoracic spinal cord opposite T3 shows intramedullary increased signal (cord malacia).
Association: unfused posterior arches (spinous processes) of C6 down to T4 vertebrae (spina bifida occulta).
Dermal sinus tract extends from the skin surface to the thoracic spinal cord opposite T3 via the widened T2/3 interspinous space, the thoracic spinal cord opposite T3 shows intramedullary increased signal (cord malacia).
Association: unfused posterior arches (spinous processes) of C6 down to T4 vertebrae (spina bifida occulta).
Unfused posterior arches (spinous processes) of C6 down to T4 vertebrae (spina bifida occulta).
Photo: skin tag.
Annotated images show: dermal sinus tract extends from the skin surface to the thoracic spinal cord opposite T3 via the widened T2/3 interspinous space (Red arrows), the thoracic spinal cord opposite T3 shows intramedullary increased signal (cord malacia).
Association: unfused posterior arches (spinous processes) of C6 down to T4 vertebrae (spina bifida occulta).
Case Discussion
Spinal dorsal dermal sinus is a rare entity, which usually comes to clinical attention by cutaneous abnormalities, neurologic deficit, and/or infection 1.
Spinal dorsal dermal sinus tract (DST) is a rare congenital dysraphism that occurs in approximately one in every 2500 live births.
It includes a tract lined by epithelium, which traverses for a variable depth into the underlying structures and in many instances, terminates within the thecal sac.