First trimester diagnosis of cervico-thoracic diastematomyelia and diplomyelia using three-dimensional ultrasound

Background Diastematomyelia and diplomyelia are rare form of spinal cord malformations (SCM) characterized by sagittal cleft in the spinal cord, conus medullaris, and/or filum terminale with splaying of the posterior vertebral elements and duplication of the spinal cord into two twin cords. Prenatal diagnosis of these diseases by two-dimensional ultrasound has been reported usually late in pregnancy and only recently in the first trimester. Objective We describe the first case of cervico-thoracic diastematomyelia and diplomyelia diagnosed early in pregnancy using three-dimensional ultrasound.