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 radiographs, the symmetrical division of the vertebral body resembles the wings of a butterfly, which gives rise to the term. Butterfly vertebra is classified among the segmentation and fusion disorders of spinal development and is often discovered incidentally during imaging examinations[^1].
Imaging
A butterfly vertebra can be optimally visualized on MRI or CT imaging.
Clinical presentation
Most patients are asymptomatic. Clinical symptoms arise primarily from secondary changes in spinal alignment.