HETEROTOPIC SPINAL-CORD - A CURIOSITY

Unusual morphological findings were encountered in a high cervical men ingomyelocele sac of a neonate. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a massive liquid-filled sac traversed by a linear structure. The spinal cord was seen to be located normally within the spinal canal. At opera tion, a spinal cord-like structure: was identified within the sac. Thi s cord terminated posteriorly at the neural tissue lining the meningom yelocele sac. There were fibrous strands connecting the cord to the sa c like the rigging of a ship. The anterior end of this cord terminated in a fibrous band. It extended upwards into the spinal canal through the narrow neck of the meningomyelocele sac above the arch of the atla s. The whole of this cord, along with the meningomyelocele sac, was ex cised. Histological analysis confirmed that this spinal cord-like stru cture consisted of glial tissue with an ependymal-lined cavity. The ex cised sac was lined by neural tissue.