Summary

Extensive spinal cord infarction due to a herniated intervertebral disk

Cortiñas Saénz M, Caldevilla Bernardo D, Martínez Pérez J, López López A

Affiliation of the authors

Servicio de Anestesiología y Reanimación. Servicio de Urgencias. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Spain.

DOI

Quote

Cortiñas Saénz M, Caldevilla Bernardo D, Martínez Pérez J, López López A. Extensive spinal cord infarction due to a herniated intervertebral disk. Emergencias. 2009;21:389-92

Summary

Anterior spinal artery syndrome may be caused by a variety of events, such as lesions

secondary to bleeding and ischemia affecting the anterior portion of the spinal cord. The

usual clinical picture involves diffuse or radicular pain below the level of the lesion, with

loss of sensitivity on the surface but preservation of proprioception and sensitivity to

vibration, plus paraparesis and loss of sphincter control. We report the case of a 39-yearold

man who developed sudden neck pain radiating to the arm within a few hours of

suffering tetraplegia with compromised airways. Images showed a herniated

posterolateral cervical disk and extensive infarction of the cervical spinal cord. The

possible causes of anterior spinal artery syndrome, including the relationship between

spinal infarction and a herniated intervertebral disk, are discussed.

 

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