Butterfly vortex
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| Q76.4 | Other congenital malformations of the spine without scoliosis |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
The butterfly vortex ( engl. Butterfly vertebra ) is a congenital malformation of the spine . The right and left halves of the vertebra are not connected to each other ( sagittal cleft vertebra ); they taper towards the middle so that they form two cones with their tips pointing towards each other. In the X-ray image , these figures look like the spread wings of a butterfly. Often the outer edges protrude beyond the neighboring vertebrae. The base or cover plate of the neighbors adapt to the shape of the butterfly vortex.
Depending on the severity of the malformation, a wedge-shaped deformation of the vertebral body can also result, which is clinically expressed as a hump. It is also possible to form a short- arched sideways bend if there is a lateral displacement of a part of the vertebral body with a complete gap. An impairment of the nerves is rare. In most cases this malformation is diagnosed by chance as a secondary finding and does not cause any problems. Therapy is then not necessary.
literature
- Joachim Brossmann, Christian Czerny, Jürgen Freyschmidt: Freyschmidt's "Koehler / Zimmer" limit of the normal and the beginnings of the pathological in the radiology of the child and adult skeleton. 14th edition. Georg Thieme Verlag, 2001, ISBN 3-13-362214-5 .
