The histopathology of experimental spinal cord trauma. The effect of systemic blood pressure.
The early sequential histopathological alterations following a concussive paraplegic injury to the posterior thoracic spinal cord in cats were studied. The lack of significant progression of hemorrhages over a 4-hour period after injury indicates that most hemorrhages probably occur within the first hour. The marked enhancement or retardation of hemorrhages in the post-injury period, when the blood pressure was increased or decreased, respectively, demonstrates the loss of autoregulation of spinal cord vasculature at the trauma site after a concussive paraplegic injury. Progressive edema formation was evident over a 4-hour period following injury, and it could be enhanced or retarded by elevation or reduction of the systemic blood pressure.
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002415:Cats; D004487:Edema / Q000473:pathology; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D006706:Homeostasis; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology*