الفهرس 
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Abstract
Spinal dysraphisms are described as congenital anomalies of the spine and spinal cord. It involves an incomplete closure of the bone, mesenchym and neural tissues in the midline.
Spinal dysraphisms are classified into closed and open types according to presence of skin covering. In open spinal dysraphism (OSD), there are no skin covering and the neural tissues are exposed however, in closed type the neural tissue are covered by skin. Closed spinal dysraphysm (CSD) can be subdivided according to the presence or absence of subcutaneous mass.
Closed spinal dysraphism are classified to: (A) CSD with subcutaneous mass,eg meningocele, lipomeningomyelocele, myelocystocele, & lipomyeloschisis, and (B) CSD without mass like tight filum terminale, lipoma of filum terminale, diastematomyelia, spina bifida occulta, persistent terminal ventricle, dorsal dermal sinus, intradural lipoma, neuroenteric cyst, dorsal enteric fistula, caudal regression syndrome (or caudal agenesis) & segmental spinal dysgenesis. Open spinal dysraphisms include myelocele, meningomyelocele, hemimyelocele, myeloschisis & hemimeningomyelocele.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the best imaging modality for assessing spinal dysraphism because of its excellent soft tissue assesment and its abilities to asses in multiple parameters.
Standard sequences of MRI scan of spine involve spin echo T1-weighted images & turbo spin echo (TSE) T2-weighted images. The signal from fat can be suppressed by different techniques, including (short TI recovery (STIR)). The 3D HASTE sequence with SE/FSE T1W images is very useful to demonstrate abnormalities of the thecal sac, neural tissue in the herniated sac.
This study was done to assess the type and extent of clinically evident or suspected congenital abnormalities of spine by MRI and to confidently compare different sequences for identifying nervous and fatty tissue in different abnormalities.
This study was conducted on 43 pediatric patients with clinically evident or suspected congenital spinal abnormalities and presented by back swelling and cutaneous malformations of the back from August 2018 to December 2019.
All patients who fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria were subjected to clinical assessment, MRI evaluation and some additional radiological assessment.
The results showed that females (65.1%) are more affected than males (34.9%) and the mean age of patients was (5.3± 5.1 months). Back swelling was the most common presentation (27.9%). Most common anomalies were vertebral anomalies (72.1%) in the form of spina bifida (41.9%) and bony deformities (30.2%) then tethered cord (27.9%) and meningomyelocele (25.6%), lumbosacral region was the commonest affected location.
Neural tissues in the herniated thecal sac were detected in combination of 3D HASTE sequence with TSE T1W sequence in (34.9%) of total patients; which was significantly high (100% accuracy) as compared to the combination of other three pair of sequences FSE T1W and FSE T2W Sequences, FSE T1W and STIR sequences as well as FSE T1W sequence with single shot myelographic sequences which were 66.7%, 60% and 66.7 % respectively; significantly less as compared to combination of 3D-HASTE with FSE T1W sequences having p-value of 0.03, 0.02 and 0.01 respectively.
Fatty tissue was found in (9.2%) of cases which were detected by combination of STIR and TSE T1W sequences in all patients (100% accuracy).