Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Butterfly vertebrae
HP:0003316
What it means
A butterfly vertebra (sagittal cleft vertebra or anterior rachischisis) is a sagittal defect in the vertebral body caused by failure of fusion of the two lateral chondrification centers during embryogenesis. The name is based on the appearance of the two hemivertebrae emerging as butterfly wings from the central cleft on x-ray.
Rare diseases that can present with this9
Sometimes5–29%
4The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.
Part of the broader category
Also called: Anterior rachischisis · Sagittal clefting of vertebrae
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Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.