Ultrasonographic clues for diagnosis of spina bifida occulta in children

Spina bifida occulta (SBO) is an abnormality of the posterior arch formation, and its prevalence is reported to be as high as 22% (1). It is a disorder of spinal development in childhood that will, as it does not improve spontaneously, after posterior element maturation, will persist into adult life. The most common vertebral sites involved are either S1 alone, or S1 and S2 together (2,3). SBO is asymptomatic in the vast majority of patients (2,3). SBO has recently been linked with voiding problems including nocturnal enuresis. Due to a possible association between SBO and spinal cord abnormalities, assessment and radiological evaluation of spinal cord gained importance (2,4)