Diagnosis

Sacral dimples are present at birth and are evident during an infant's initial physical exam. In most cases, further testing is unnecessary. If the dimple is very large or is accompanied by a nearby tuft of hair, skin tag or certain types of skin discoloration, your doctor may suggest imaging tests to rule out spinal cord problems.

These tests may include:

• Ultrasound. This noninvasive procedure uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures of the body.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). If more detail is needed, your doctor may recommend an MRI, which uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create cross-sectional images of the body.