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Butterfly vertebra

Case contributed by Erik Ranschaert
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Pain in the thoracic spine.

Patient Data

Age: 25 years
Gender: Female
x-ray

The lateral film demonstrates a wedge-shaped thoracic vertebra at the level of T8. 
The AP film demonstrates a bony defect in the center with pedicle on each side.

Case Discussion

The butterfly vertebra belongs to the anterior formation failure in the classification; it is the vertebra with 1 pedicle on each side and partial defect of the vertebral body. This type of formation failure is usually included in the congenital kyphosis because many butterfly vertebrae are clinically observed with symmetrical partial defects of the center of the vertebral body that result in anterior wedge-shaped vertebrae.

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