Ultrasonography of the spine in neonates and young infants with a sacral skin dimple

The relationship between a sacral skin dimple and an underlying intraspinal abnormality was assessed in 50 consecutive neonates and young infants who were referred to the authors' institution for ultrasonography of the spine because of the presence of a sacral skin dimple. There were 24 girls and 26 boys, with a mean age of 32 days (range 1-151). All the patients were neurologically normal. Of the 50 patients, 2 had a concomitant hairy patch. No patient with a sacral skin dimple demonstrated an intraspinal lesion by ultrasonography. Ultrasonography of the spine is not indicated as a routine study for a neurologically intact infant with an isolated sacral skin dimple.