Sacral dimple/tethered cord connection?

[Jennyfoo]

Hi, I saw in another thread, something about sacral dimples and tethered cord. I was born with a sacral dimple; still quite noticeable actually. I'm wondering what connection there is??? Does anyone have any good info on sacral dimples and tethered cord?

Thanks in advance.

TTFN,
Jenn

-chiari 1(4-5mm) diagnosed about 2 months ago. Still waiting to see a neurosurgeon who's actually qualified to do surgery if necessary. Horrible daily HA, dizzy spells, vertigo, nausea, parasthesia, rt hand and foot numbness, facial numbness that comes and goes. Barely surviving life with 4 kids under 12.

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

Many times a sacral dimple is overlooked....and many times it does not cause an issue....

I know I  always had bowel and bladder issues and was dx with IBS.....I also had issues sitting on hard surfaces, and had leg and lower back pains....

It was not until I had my Chiari dx and was asked to get all MRI's and Xrays pulled together that I saw I was dx'd with tethered cord, just no one told me about it....

So, for the other half, it is the Drs that may see it and like with chiari consider it an incidental finding and feel it will not be an issue, so they do not mention it, if u r having issues do make sure ur Dr is aware.

Do u also have chiari?

[gerryc82]

I was born with. I had no name for it and never mention itto another. Its small and never hurts or itches. I can barely fit my pinkie in it. But lately I have been peeing a lot and my lower back always hurts. Maybe I should check it out. Funny enough I had anal fissures and colonoscpies and docs have examined my anus but never mention it. Maybe cause its so small.

[selmaS]

  Well then u will have to educate her....it may take time, but u just may win her over....each time u go take printed info on chiari along....

It is sad we have to fight to get answers.

[drewlevas]

It took me 6 months to convince her to get me an MRI to check for MS, she was telling me it was fatigue and stress causing all my symptoms. She didnt even know what CM was. And today she told me she had done SOME reading and it was probably what was causing my nausia, lost of balance, dyssy spell and lost of consciousness. So when she told me to take tylenol for my leg pain it did not suprise me! But I can't go looking around for an other doctor! There is so many people over here without a PCP, even very old people! So I'm happy to have one even if she dont always listen.

[selmaS]

  I don't understand a PCP dropping u as a patient as they r not a specialist and r not the ones to treat u for this, but should still see u for all ur other medical needs and care....that is just so odd.

    "selma"

[drewlevas]

I mean 5 to 6h drive !!!

[drewlevas]

It was my PCP the closest NL or NS for a matter of fact are at least 4 to 5h drive from where I live.

[selmaS]

  Most Drs r not aware of this and what to do for it...it is not a surprise...but I know it is frustrating for u.

Was this ur PCP or a NL?

    "selma"

[drewlevas]

I saw my doctor today and I told her about the dimple. I also talked to her about a new extrm pain in my left thight. But she brushed it aside and told me to take tylenol! The only thing interseting her was to know what the NS had told me (I only see him on the 25!!!!!) and she also wanted to know if I had an other lost of conciousness. And told me she would call me for my flu shot.

[selmaS]

   Sacral dimples r an indication of tethered cord, and u should not have liquid coming out...u may have done something  that tore the covering off the cyst.

Do have ur Dr look at it as u do not want an infection.

   "selma"

[drewlevas]

I have a sacral dimple too! I just found out toningt that this little bugger as a name! I never memtion it to my doctor, because it so apparent and deep that when they check me they can see it easly, and they never ask me if it hurted me or not. But I'll probably mention it to my NS! I have a little liquid coming out of it almost every day, but I belived it was normal!

[selmaS]

  Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I too have the sacral dimple and had fluid leaking from mine as well, but it happened after I tried to do some palates exercises and I heard a pop ...my Dr explained what had happened.

The sacral dimple is the location where the cord and spinal column are attached/tethered...under the dimple is a cyst...it has a covering that can easily be torn....and infected.

If u exercise it is possible u strained this area and torn the covering of the cyst...u will need an antibiotic....

  Did u have a brain  and cervical spine MRI.... a good indication is an elongated brain stem.....and this also pulls down on the cerebral tonsils.

  Make sure the NS is well experienced with chiari and tethered cord.

  What other symptoms do u have?...ne lower back or leg pains, HA's...bowel or bladder issues?

   "selma"

[mike1900000]

My case with sacral dimple is scary...I am 36 and found out recently that I have this dimple. Now I see liquid and sometime blood comes thru that. My doc asked me to do the MRI and the results shows everything is normal except the cord that needs to be removed by surgery. I am still working on getting the appointment for Neu surgeon, but I am curious to know more about it.

[selmaS]

Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

May I ask, do u also have chiari or low lying tonsils?.....

And what symptoms besides ur bladder issues do u have?

I have the sacral dimple as well.....and I get tail bone pain....wondered if u ever had that type of pain, leg issues, or bowel issues as well as the bladder issues.

Did u have the urodynamics bladder test done?

And lastly, do u have a chiari specialist as they r the best for this condition as it is a related condition to chiari. The cord being tethered pulls down on the cord and brain stem causing the cerebral tonsils to herniate.....

"selma"

[wicked8954]

hey! I have a dimple at the top of my buttcrack and I always though it was just a cute dimple.
well I'm 17 and the past two years I have had severe bladder issues. I go to the bathroom SO MUCH and have not gone the past two years without waking up at least three tomes during the night to pee. during the day I can per as much as every 20 min. the doctor said my dimple may be a sacral dimple and that could be causing my bladder problems. I just got the MRI on my lumbar spine today.. excited to get results as well
ps im hoping this is the answer to my problems cause I was tested for an over active bladder and that did not seem to be the case!

[selmaS]

  I am trying to get tethered cord to be umbrellaed with chiari....they r related conditions....most of these conditions feel under the Neuro forum, chiari had soooooo many members MH made a separate forum...I am not sure if spina bifida had/has that many members on MH....
Chiari is only a separate forum since 2008.So it is relatively new : )

Those with the sacral dimples do indicate tethered cord, it is not always the case...do u have bowel and bladder issues as well?...leg problems....this is not an easy dx to get..as u can not always see the cord tether on a MRI.

"selma"

[mdavid924]

Hi, Selma. I was browsing about my sister's tethered cord condition and found this thread about sacral dimples and got curious since I have two deep ones on my sacral region. It gave me insight since I never thought those dimples were indications of anything except just dimples.

This is good to know. thank you.

In line with this, just a quick inquiry, why is there no specific community for tethered cord/bifida patients like Chiari? Or is it under Chiari?

Thanks

[rod44]

It is also found in Spina Bifida......

[selmaS]

Do keep us posted, I am curious..as of now, I feel alone on this one...lol....

[lu7997]

Lmao. I googles butt dimples one night.   I have a post on here about it.  Lol.  I just had my lumbar MRI tonight.  I have always had one.  Now I am curious to see if there is a connection

[selmaS]

Well a x-ray will not show TC...and even is missed on some MRI's ...and can be termed Tethered cord occulta  meaning it was hidden....

Make sure ur daughter knows how often she should empty so she knows what is normal and will know when something is  amiss.

"selma"

[Jennyfoo]

Thank you! I don't have any of those symptoms associated with tethered cord, never have. I guess it's nothing to worry about, and my sacral dimple is just a benign thing.

My adopted daughter has a deep sacral dimple and I know that X-rays or something were performed to check her spine, but that was a few months before she was placed with us for adoption. She was almost 7 months old when she joined our family.

[selmaS]

A sacral dimple is an indentation, present at birth, in the skin on the lower back. It's usually located just above the crease between the buttocks. Also called pilonidal dimples, most sacral dimples are small and shallow. Sometimes, a sacral dimple may be accompanied by increased hair growth in this area.

Most of the time, sacral dimples are harmless and don't require any treatment. Rarely, a sacral dimple may indicate a serious underlying abnormality of the spine or spinal cord.

To rule out any abnormality, your child's doctor may recommend an imaging test. If an abnormality is discovered, treatment depends on the underlying cause.

Tethered cord syndrome is a broadly used term for progressive neurological deterioration localized to lower spinal cord abnormalities (such as fibrous bands or adhesions, thickened filum terminale, diastematomyelia, or intradural lipoma), resulting in traction on the conus medullaris.[1,2]

The family physician can see patients with tethered cord syndrome at any age but most often during childhood. Symptoms and signs vary from being asymptomatic to severe lower extremity neurological deficits with bladder and bowel involvement. Inspection of the back reveals cutaneous stigmata (sacral dimples, hairy nevus, angiomas, or lipomas) in 70% of cases. Children can also have gait abnormalities resulting from scoliosis or asymmetric growth in the foot or leg associated with talipes cavus deformities.A few children complain of diffuse pain in lower extremities or urological symptoms (recurrent urinary tract infections, enuresis, dribbling, delayed toilet training). In contrast, adults usually complain of diffuse bilateral perianal-perineal pain (86% of cases) and urological symptoms (overflow or stress incontinence).