Atypical spinal cord infarction: A case report

Anterior Spinal Cord Infarction: A Rare Diagnosis With an Uncommon Presentation

Spinal cord infarction (SCI) is a rare vascular event accounting for 1% of all strokes. Neurological syndromes may vary according to the arterial territory involved. This condition may differ in onset, severity, and recovery, making it a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Diagnosis is made on a clinical basis, and neuroimaging (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) provides confirmatory evidence. A 72-year-old male, with a medical history of being overweight, hyperuricemia, dyslipidemia, and cigarette smoking presented to our emergency department (ED) with sudden-onset leg weakness. He reported chest pain with radiation to the back, followed by sudden arm and leg weakness, evolving to inferior limb plegia within four hours. He also noticed a loss of sensation below the breast region. On admission, vital signs were stable. Neurological examination demonstrated paraplegia of inferior limbs with absent deep tendon reflexes. Both pinprick, vibrational, and proprioceptive sensitivities were absent below T6. A diagnostic workup revealed lactescent serum suggesting severe hypertriglyceridemia. A clinical diagnosis of spinal cord infarction was made, which was later confirmed with MRI demonstrating an acute ischemic lesion in the anterior spinal artery (ASA) with the "owl's eye" sign, from T5 with extension to the cone. Neurological examination remained unaltered. He started aspirin and insulin perfusion. Since spinal cord injury is an uncommon cause of paraplegia, physicians should be extremely cautious. Despite the results of magnetic resonance imaging, the clinical picture was not consistent, which was finally explained by perilesional edema. To our knowledge, this is a rare case combining SCI with hypertriglyceridemia. Notwithstanding the lack of evidence linking reducing triglyceride levels to neurological recovery, insulin infusion was carried out given the hazards associated with sustaining such high levels of triglycerides. We aim to emphasize some characteristic MRI findings and the wealth of possible etiologies contributing to this clinical entity.

Spinal cord ischemia - from diagnosis to treatment

Purpose

The aim of the article is to outline the frequency of the occurrence, course, diagnosis and possible treatment of spinal cord ischemia (SCI) on the basis of a literature overview and to raise awareness of this rare yet devastating condition.

Views

SCI, when compared to cerebral stroke, is a relatively rare disease, being diagnosed 100 times less often. Our knowledge as to its root causes, proper treatment for it and long-term prognosis is still inconclusive. Magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion- weighted contrast is a main tool with which to confirm SCI and rule out a broad spectrum of possible alternative diagnoses. SCI is a condition in which prompt recognition, accurate diagnostic steps, and reperfusion therapy are essential to ensure a desirable functional outcome and reduce mortality and disability. Although there are no specific guidelines regarding treatment, the administration of rt-PA might be an effective therapy for acute ischemic stroke, preventing permanent spinal dysfunction. In surgical causes close cooperation between a neurologist and a neurosurgeon is necessary to provide combined appropriate management promptly.

Conclusions

Due to the relative rarity of SCI, multi-center studies of ischemia of the spinal cord and its treatment would be advisable in neurological practice to enhance current knowledge. A rapid diagnosis is crucial for appropriate care and desirable long-term outcomes.

[A case of spinal cord infarction accompanied with neuromyelitis optica spectrum pathophysiology]

We report a 60-year-old woman who developed spinal cord infarction (SCI) with anti-aquaporin (AQP) 4 antibody seropositive. She was admitted to our hospital with acute onset of flaccid paraparesis and urinary disturbances that completed within a few minutes after acute pain in her lower back. Neurological examination revealed flaccid paraparesis, bladder and bowel dysfunction and dissociated sensory loss below the level of Th11 spinal cord segment. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and T₂-wighted imaging (T₂WI) of thoracic spine MRI showed high signal intensity in the spinal cord between Th9 and Th12 vertebral levels with decreased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). We diagnosed her as having SCI. Thereafter the serum examination on admission was reported as positive for anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed pleocytosis, and the spinal cord lesions became enlarged in MRI on 12 days after the onset. We, therefore, suspected that the pathophysiology of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) accompanied SCI. The patient underwent two courses of high dose intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) for three days (1 g/day). Her neurological symptoms did not improve significantly, but the size of T₂WI MRI high signal lesion improved to that of the initial MRI scan. Anti-AQP4 antibody seropositivity may have modified the SCI pathology in the present patient.

Cervical Spine Ischemic Stroke Complicated by Spastic Quadriparesis and Ogilvie Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review

Infarction or ischemia of the spinal cord is a rare entity and is often misdiagnosed as inflammatory myelopathy in acute settings. Atherosclerotic disease can affect spinal arteries, leading to cord ischemia with clinical presentation mixed with myelopathy. We present a case of a 66-year-old male who came to the hospital with unsteady gait and numbness of all extremities without associated pain for the past 48 hours. The neurological examination on admission directed the diagnosis towards myelopathy of the cervical spine. However, the initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine demonstrated gliosis and restricted diffusion of the cord with multilevel neuroforaminal stenosis but without central canal stenosis or cord compression. The MRI brain, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and rheumatologic evaluation were unremarkable. Four days into the clinical course, the patient developed weakness and spasticity of all extremities prompting further evaluation. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) scan of the head and neck revealed right vertebral artery occlusion and intracranial atherosclerotic disease. He was started on aspirin and clopidogrel for secondary risk reduction. The hospital course was further complicated by Ogilvie syndrome (OS), and the patient underwent uncomplicated cecostomy.

Acute Spinal Cord Infarction Presenting With Chest Pain and Neurogenic Shock: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Spinal cord infarction (SCI) is rare, accounting for approximately 1% of strokes.

CASE REPORT

We present the case of a 63-year-old male who presented to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain and acute-onset generalized weakness and was ultimately diagnosed with SCI secondary to suspected occlusion of the artery of Adamkiewicz. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: SCI may present diagnostic challenges, with its predilection for mimicking other major emergency conditions, such as acute aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm rupture, spinal cord compressive myelopathy, or transverse myelitis. Its consequences are often significantly disabling initially, though patients may experience subsequent clinical improvement. It is important to include SCI in the differential for patients with chest or back pain coupled with neurologic symptoms.