Pediatria pre prax 4/2024

Tethered cord syndrome in pediatric patients after fetal surgery for meningomyelocele

Tethered spinal cord syndrome (TCS) is defined as an abnormality, in which the spinal cord is not able to slide normally inside the spinal canal because of abnormal fixation to around tissues. The fixation is the most common in lumbosacral region (1). This retrospective study analyzes the dependence between fetal surgical treatment of meningomyelocele (MMC) and occurrence of the TCS, syringomyelia and dermoid intradural cysts. The purpose is to evaluate the current state of patient mobility due to the presence of spinal cord fixation and syringomyelia. In the article, we present results of Slovak patients with prenatally diagnosed and operated MMC who are registered in National Institute of Children´s Diseases in Bratislava. These patients underwent fetal surgery for MMC in 2016–2020 at Kinderspital Zürich. The study spanning from 2016 to 2024.

Keywords: tethered cord syndrome, syringomyelia, neural tube defects, intraspinal dermoid cysts, fetal surgery for meningomyelocele