Vm. Kriss et al., THE VENTRICULUS TERMINALIS OF THE SPINAL-CORD IN THE NEONATE - A NORMAL VARIANT ON SONOGRAPHY, American journal of roentgenology, 165(6), 1995, pp. 1491-1493
OBJECTIVE. The ventriculus terminalis, or fifth ventricle, is an epend
ymal-lined residual lumen of the caudal most portion of the spinal cor
d (the conus medullaris). We describe five neonates in whom this norma
l variant was depicted on sonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Screening
lumbosacral spinal sonograms are performed at our institutions on neo
nates with lumbosacral cutaneous stigmata. Over a 2-year period (1993-
1995), we prospectively found five cases in which spinal sonograms sho
wed the ventriculus terminalis of the conus medullaris in term neonate
s. Two of the five received follow-up spinal sonograms at the age of 3
months.RESULTS. Sonograms of the lumbosacral spine of these five neon
ates showed an unusual hypoechoic or split appearance of the central e
cho complex of the conus medullaris. No other abnormalities were noted
, and the finding was unchanged on the followup sonograms performed on
two of the infants at the age of 3 months. These infants have remaine
d asymptomatic during clinical follow-up periods of up to 2 years. CON
CLUSION. The ventriculus terminalis is a normal anatomic variant of th
e conus medullaris that can be visualized on spinal sonograms in neona
tes.