Caudal Appendage in Neonate: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

The caudal appendage, also called a human tail, is a congenital anomaly located in the lumbosacral region, characterized as a prominent lesion. It is one of the lesions considered a marker of spinal dysraphism and may be classified into 2 groups: “pseudo-tail” and “true tail”. The authors report a case of a newborn baby girl admitted with the complaint of having a 4 cm long tail that had been present since birth. She was referred to us on the eighth day. The clinical examination found a soft, elongated, skin-covered, and non-fluctuating appendage in the lumbosacral region. She had no neurological impairment. A computed tomography scan showed a lumbar appendage associated with a spina bifida. The tail was surgically removed, and both the surgery and postoperative period were uneventful. Histopathological examination of the tail revealed a benign lesion with mature adipose tissue covered by skin. The caudal appendage is a benign congenital anomaly that may be associated with other spinal cord anomalies. Therefore, neurological examination as well as radiological evaluation is recommended to highlight the underlying anomalies.