A butterfly vertebra is a rare congenital malformation of a vertebral body, characterized by the persistent presence of a median sagittal cleft in the vertebral body. On X-ray, the symmetrical division of the vertebral body resembles the wings of a butterfly, from which the name is derived. Butterfly vertebrae belong to the segmentation and fusion disorders of spinal development and are often discovered incidentally during imaging studies[^1].
Imaging
A butterfly vertebra can be optimally visualized on MRI or CT imaging.
Clinical presentation
Most patients are asymptomatic. Clinical symptoms arise mainly from secondary changes in spinal statics.
