Myelomeningocele Associated With Split Cord Malformation Type I - Three Case Reports

Three neonates presented with split cord malformation (SCM) associated with myelomeningocele (MMC), complicated with various coexisting anomalies. All patients were female and classified as SCM type I. All patients had a syrinx located rostral to the SCM. One patient had hydrocephalus and Chiari malformation causing serious respiratory problems. Two patients had partial hypertrichosis located close to the MMC, suggesting association with SCM. One patient had sacral hypoplasty and right kidney agenesis, suggesting that some embryologic errors may affect not only neural but also mesodermal development. All patients underwent surgical treatment for SCM after detailed evaluation and management of concomitant anomalies, and developed no new neurological deficits. Delayed surgery is an alternative treatment strategy for SCM in patients with both SCM and MMC with similar complications.