Surgical treatment of nonprogressive neurological deficits in children with sacral agenesis.

Abstract

I report my experience with 10 children with varying degrees of sacrococcygeal agenesis. There were four children with total agenesis and four with partial agenesis. All of these children had neurological deficits that had been static since birth. Radiological evaluation of these children revealed the presence of tethered cord in two children and tethered cord with lipomeningocele in one. Surgical correction of these intraspinal anomalies led to the improvement of urinary incontinence in these children. This report highlights the fact that children with sacral agenesis and nonprogressive neurological deficits may have correctable intraspinal anomalies, and hence all of the children with sacral agenesis should be evaluated for the presence of treatable intraspinal anomalies.