J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2001 Sep;12(3):345-347.

Butterfly Vertebra: A Case Report

• Yeom SR
• Lee G
• Park CW
• Yang HJ
• Hyun SY
• Ryoo E
• Jin W

Abstract

A butterfly vertebra is a rare, but very important congenital anomaly that must be differentially diagnosed with compression fracture of the vertebral body. It has characteristic findings on simple X-ray, CT, and MRI. These findings are an anterior wedging contour on the sagittal image, a widening of the transverse diameter on the coronal image, adaptations of nearby vertebral endplates on the sagittal image, communicated intervertebral disc spaces on the sagittal and the coronal images, a well-defined midline bony defect with a sclerotic margin in the vertebral body on the axial image, and a normal body signal intensity on MRI. Because of legal problems and further plans for treatment, close attention must be given to patients who complain of back pain and who have decreased anterior height of the vertebral body after trauma. In those patients, a butterfly vertebra must be differentially diagnosed with compression fracture of vertebral body. We report one such case here.

Keyword

Spine; Abnormalities; CT; MRI

MeSH Terms

Back Pain
Butterflies*
Fractures, Compression
Humans
Intervertebral Disc
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Spine*