Screening and Treatment of Tethered Spinal Cord in Anorectal Malformation Patients

Abstract

Tethered cord occurs in 9% of the ARM patients. Neonatal spinal ultrasonography has a sensitivity and specificity of 80 and 89%, respectively. Not in all patients an MRI was performed, but the vast majority remained clinically asymptomatic concerning TSC. Ultrasound screening seems an effective screening method, however, when ultrasonography is negative and the patient becomes symptomatic later in life, an MRI should be performed to exclude TSC. In our series, only 1 of 110 ARM patients had symptomatic tethered cord syndrome, and symptoms resolved postoperatively.