Intraspinal Anomalies in Early Onset Scoliosis: Current Concepts

Early onset scoliosis (EOS) is deformity of the spine below the age of 5 years. Children with EOS are at risk of impaired thoracic cage development and pulmonary maturation. Initial evaluation consists of determining the etiological cause for EOS, i.e., congenital, neurogenic, idiopathic, or syndromic. The advent of magnetic resonance imaging in recent times has lead to increased awareness of neurogenic causes leading to EOS. Evaluation of spinal cord anomalies in EOS is very important as early diagnosis and treatment can help in deformity stabilization and regression. Also, any surgical or nonsurgical intervention to correct the deformity without prior treatment of spinal cord anomalies can lead to disastrous neurological complications.