Spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality in an infant with delayed presentation of symptoms after a minor injury

Clinical characteristics and treatment of spinal cord injury in children and adolescents

Pediatric and adult spinal cord injuries (SCI) are distinct entities. Children and adolescents with SCI must suffer from lifelong disabilities, which is a heavy burden on patients, their families and the society. There are differences in Chinese and foreign literature reports on the incidence, injury mechanism and prognosis of SCI in children and adolescents. In addition to traumatic injuries such as car accidents and falls, the proportion of sports injuries is increasing. The most common sports injury is the backbend during dance practice. Compared with adults, children and adolescents are considered to have a greater potential for neurological improvement. The pathogenesis and treatment of pediatric SCI remains unclear. The mainstream view is that the mechanism of nerve damage in pediatric SCI include flexion, hyperextension, longitudinal distraction and ischemia. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of drugs such as methylprednisolone in the treatment of pediatric SCI and the indications and timing of surgery. In addition, the complications of pediatric SCI are also worthy of attention. New imaging techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion tensor tractography may be used for diagnosis and assessment of prognosis. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, imaging, clinical characteristics, treatment and complications of SCI in children and adolescents. Although current treatment cannot completely restore neurological function, patient quality of life can be enhanced. Continued developments and advances in the research of SCI may eventually provide a cure for children and adolescents with this kind of injury.

Posttraumatic Spinal Cord Injury without Radiographic Abnormality

“Spinal Cord Injury without Radiographic Abnormality” (SCIWORA) is a term that denotes objective clinical signs of posttraumatic spinal cord injury without evidence of fracture or malalignment on plain radiographs and computed tomography (CT) of the spine. SCIWORA is most commonly seen in children with a predilection for the cervical spinal cord due to the increased mobility of the cervical spine, the inherent ligamentous laxity, and the large head-to-body ratio during childhood. However, SCIWORA can also be seen in adults and, in rare cases, the thoracolumbar spinal cord can be affected too. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a valuable diagnostic tool in patients with SCIWORA because of its superior ability to identify soft tissue lesions such as cord edema, hematomas and transections, and discoligamentous injuries that may not be visualized in plain radiographs and CT. The mainstay of treatment in patients with SCIWORA is nonoperative management including steroid therapy, immobilization, and avoidance of activities that may increase the risk of exacerbation or recurrent injury. Although the role of operative treatment in SCIWORA can be controversial, surgical alternatives such as decompression and fusion should be considered in selected patients with clinical and MRI evidence of persistent spinal cord compression and instability.

Idiopathic Cervical Hematomyelia in an Infant: Spinal Cord Injury without Radiographic Abnormality Caused by a Trivial Trauma? Case Report and Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous or idiopathic intramedullary bleeding is a very rare event in pediatric patients. This diagnosis requires an extended clinical, laboratory, and radiologic work-up to rule out all potential causes of hematomyelia. However, children may present with hematomyelia or spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality even after a minor trauma.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 15-month-old girl presented with a 24-hour history of progressive neurologic deficits. A trivial trauma had occurred a few days before the clinical onset. Head computed tomography scan and craniospinal magnetic resonance imaging revealed an isolated hemorrhagic central medullary lesion extending from the obex to C3 level. No underlying causes of intramedullary bleeding were identified. In the absence of obvious vascular abnormalities, the patient underwent an urgent occipitocervical decompression with hematoma evacuation. Postoperatively, the patient's motor symptoms rapidly resolved, and she was discharged with cervical collar immobilization.

CONCLUSIONS

We discuss the differential diagnosis of intramedullary bleeding in children, focusing on the diagnostic protocol and therapeutic options in this age group.

Significance of SCIWORA in adults

<sec><title>OBJECTIVE:</title><p> Recognizing the importance of SCIWORA in adult age; analyze the usefulness of complementary studies; evaluating therapeutic options; learn about the evolution of the treated patients.</p></sec><sec><title>METHODS:</title><p> A prospective evaluation with a minimum follow-up of 5 years, eight elderly patients with cervical arthrosis and diagnosis of SCIWORA. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale and ASIA were used on admission and at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months.</p></sec><sec><title>RESULTS:</title><p> The central cord syndrome (CCS) was the neurological condition at admission. One patient recovered after corticosteroid therapy, but later, his disability worsened, and he was operated at 18 months, another patient recovered and a third died. The other patients underwent laminoplasty in the first 72 hours; patients with partial severity condition had a minimum improvement of five points in JAO scale and those with severe conditions died.</p></sec><sec><title>CONCLUSIONS:</title><p> The low-energy trauma can decompensate the relationship between container and content in the spine with asymptomatic arthrosis, and can be devastating to the patient. The diagnosis of intramedullary lesion is made by magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with incomplete deficit undergoing laminoplasty reached at least one level in ASIA score. The potential postoperative complications can be serious.</p></sec>

Predictores en el cuadro SCIWORA del adulto

OBJETIVOS: Analizar cinemática, reconocer cuadro clínico de presentación, describir imágenes, considerar posibilidades terapéuticas y evaluar evolución. MÉTODO: Se analizan 13 pacientes del sexo masculino que presentaron SCIWORA (en inglés Spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality) entre el 2005 al 2012. Se evalúan cuadro clínico, tratamiento, complicaciones y evolución. RESULTADOS: 10 pacientes mayores de 45 años presentaban signos de espondiloartrosis con mínimos síntomas. De los tres menores de esta edad solo uno presentaba estenosis de canal constitucional asintomática. Todos sufrieron trauma de baja energía. En la resonancia magnética prevaleció el hematoma intramedular y clínicamente todos los pacientes presentaban un síndrome medular central, con cuadro severo (ASIA A-B) en los mayores de 45 años. Siete pacientes fueron tratados inicialmente en forma conservadora; un paciente empeoró y tuvo que ser sometido a intervención quirúrgica 18 meses después y otro falleció en las primeras horas, el resto de los pacientes tuvieron buena evolución. Seis pacientes requirieron cirugía (laminoplastía) en los primeros 10 días; tres fallecieron y el resto mejoro por lo menos un nivel ASIA. CONCLUSIONES: La menor edad, los cuadros leves y el edema intramedular son factores de buen pronóstico y se ven favorecidos con el tratamiento conservador. La mayor edad, la espondiloartrosis y los cuadros severos o progresivos, son factores de mal pronóstico y puede ser necesario su tratamiento quirúrgico.

Spinal injuries in children

About 5% of spinal injuries occur in children – however the consequences to the society are devastating, all the more so because the cervical spine is more commonly affected. Anatomical differences with adults along with the inherent elasticity of the pediatric spine, makes these injuries a biomechanically separate entity. Hence clinical manifestations are unique, one of which is the Spinal Cord Injury Without Radiological Abnormality. With the advent of high quality MRI and CT scan along with digital X-ray, it is now possible to exactly delineate the anatomical location, geometrical configuration, and the pathological extent of the injury. This has improved the management strategies of these unfortunate children and the role of surgical stabilization in unstable injuries can be more sharply defined. However these patients should be followed up diligently because of the recognized long term complications of spinal deformity and syringomyelia.