Diastematomyelia
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Diastematomyelia is a developmental anomaly characterized by a cleft or duplication of the spinal cord, typically resulting from the failure of the neural tube to close properly during embryonic development. This condition is often associated with spina bifida and other congenital malformations.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
DIASTEMATOMYELIA (from Greek diastema - interval), spinal cord with a gap, duplication of the spinal cord (syn. diplomyelia), represents in most cases a developmental anomaly consisting of the failure of the symmetrically forming parts of the spinal cord in the embryo to fuse. Since this fusion (transformation of the divided neural plate into the neural tube) occurs during the 3rd week of embryonic development, the anomaly itself therefore belongs to early dates in embryonic development. Much less frequently, D. denotes actual duplication of the spinal cord, in which case the causal factor (experimentally proven by Woelsch) is duplication of the central canal. Very rarely, D. affects the entire length of the spinal cord. D. most often combines with spina bifida and other anomalies. Van Gieson showed that a phenomenon resembling D. can be obtained as an artifact, for example, when the spinal cord is carelessly removed from the vertebral canal.
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Cite this page
“Diastematomyelia.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/diastematomyelia/