[The indirect echographic signs in the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida aperta in the second trimester of pregnancy. A report on 2 cases].

The authors present a brief literary review on the frequency and etiological factors of the opened spinal dysraphism. The importance of its echographic diagnosis is indicated by using indirect signs, mainly microcephaly, ventriculomegaly, cerebellar pathology ("a sign of the banana") and characteristic fronto-temporal configuration of the fetal encephalic cranium ("a sign of the lemon") up to 24 week's of gestation. Two cases of diagnosed spinal dysraphism during the second trimester of pregnancy with established indirect echographic signs, promoting active search for direct echographic image of this congenital defect of the neural tube, are described.