1. ULTRASOUND OF THE NEWBORN VETEBRAL CANAL Roberto Azzoni*, MD and Simonetta Gerevini°, MD *Orthopaedic Dep., State University of Milan - S. Donato mil. (Milan) - Italy (roberto.azzoni@unimi.it)roberto.azzoni@unimi.it Neuroradiology, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy Aim of the Study: US of the newborn vertebral canal is a relatively recent acquisition that makes it possible to evaluate the spinal cord and study its pathologies. The purpose of this study was to verify the reliability of US images by comparing them with Mr images in healthy controls as well as in patients referred to us between 1999 and 2006. Methods: In this period, we studied 233 newborns: 70 without any suspicion of disease as normal controls, and 163 because of suspected congenital diseases or in order to screen the children of diabetic mothers on who have shown an increased incidence of dysraphism. Results: After describing normal US images, we describe the pathological pictures observed in the 19 pathological cases in our series: conus hypo-mobility in 9 cases; lack of visualisation of the conus medullaris in 2 case; and an enlarged ependymal canal in 8 cases. Seven cases presented all three pathological conditions, and nine the association of two pathologies. All of these patients also underwent Mri, which confirmed the ultrasound findings in 9 cases: 7 cases of enlarged ependymal canal and 2 of tethered cord hypo-mobility of the roots with an associated lipoma; the MRI findings were normal in the other 10 cases. Discussion: US was highly specific but not very sensitive, because it is partially conditioned by patient collaboration. Nevertheless, subsequent Mri imaging confirmed 47,3% of the suspected pathological cases. The US resolution of both normal and pathological spinal cord structures was particularly clear. The images were similar, easily comparable and often identical to the Mr images, although the latter was certainly more sensitive. The advantages of US are its non-invasiveness, low cost, the virtually ubiquitous availability of ultrasound equipment, the simplicity and rapidity of the examination, and its specificity. Conclusion: We believe that the indications for its use are lumbo-sacral skin alterations, neurological disorders caused by congenital malformations, traumas due to childbirth or a lumbar puncture, occult dysraphism, all of the compressive spinal cord neo-formations involving nerves, the dura mater and vertebral bone and joint structures, and the screening of the newborns of diabetic mothers. Scheme of transverse US scan of lumbar spinal cord Scheme of longitudinal US scan of lumbar spinal cord Longitudinal US scan of lumbar spinal cord: L3-S1, newborn 7 weeks old, normal Transverse US scan of lumbar spinal cord: L3, newborn 7 weeks old, normal Transverse Mri scan of lumbar spinal cord: L3, newborn 7 weeks old, normal Longitudinal Mri scan of lumbar spinal cord: L3-S1, newborn 7 weeks old, Lipoma (L) Longitudinal US scan of dorso-lumbar spinal cord: Newborn 3 days old, Tethered cord Longitudinal US scan of dorso-lumbar spinal cord: Newborn 7 days old, enlarged ependymal canal Transverse US scan of dorso-lumbar spinal cord: Newborn 7 days old, enlarged ependymal canal L