Prenatal Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Hemivertebrae

Abstract

Introduction: The hemivertebrae is a rare congenital defect of the fetal spine in which only the vertebral body develops on one side, resulting in deformity.
Objective: To present a case with three-dimensional prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of hemivertebrae, as the only defect.
Method: Prenatal ultrasound evaluation, postmortem anatomopathological and radiological examination were performed in a fetus with congenital scoliosis caused by hemivertebrae. The literature on this congenital defect, the prenatal diagnosis and other genetic aspects that should be taken into account for family counseling was reviewed.
Case report: A 28-year-old pregnant woman referred to the provincial office of Medical Genetics in Camagüey, Cuba, on September 25, 2018, due to ultrasonographic suspicion of fetal hemivertebrae. She was 20 weeks of gestation. Diagnosis is confirmed by three-dimensional ultrasonography. After the informed family consent, the pregnancy was interrupted. The prenatal diagnosis was verified by radiological and pathological studies of the lumbar back region.
Conclusions: It is concluded as a multiple congenital defect, isolated, of possible multifactorial etiology. The value of three-dimensional ultrasound, coronal sagittal view, was highlighted as the most commonly used, non-invasive method for prenatal diagnosis.