A 21-year-old woman presented to a Chinese pulmonology clinic with complaints of a week-long cough and sore throat. Examination revealed only moderate pharyngeal redness. She had no history of back pain. A chest X-ray revealed normal lungs and two hemivertebrae at the site of the ninth thoracic vertebral body. She was referred for a CT scan, which revealed sagittal clefting, anterior wedge deformity, and symmetrical triangular hemivertebrae at the level of the ninth thoracic vertebra. Shuai Ding and Xin Pan from the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang shared this case in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Based on radiographic findings, the woman was diagnosed with a butterfly vertebra, a rare congenital anomaly caused by the failure of the two lateral ossification centers of the vertebra to fuse during fetal development. This defect can be isolated, as in this case, or combined with other developmental anomalies. Further examination by specialized specialists confirmed the benign nature of the condition and the absence of the need for specific treatment. The cough and sore throat were considered manifestations of an uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection, and supportive therapy was prescribed.
