title: Anterior spinal artery syndrome and its natural history.
abstract: The anterior spinal artery syndrome in three patients is described and from the literature 60 additional patients were collected. Motor recovery in the following groups of patients was noted: (1) Partial loss of motor function and pain sensation--70.4 per cent (19/27); (2) Complete motor loss but partial loss of pain--83.3 per cent (5/6); (3) Paresis but pain sensation absent--66.7 per cent (6/9); and (4) Absent motor function and pain--38.9 per cent (7/18). Motor recovery was also found to vary according to aetiology: (A) Unknown cause--92.9 per cent (13/14); (B) Post-infection or vaccination--88.9 per cent (8/9); (C) Anterior spinal artery occlusion--33.3 per cent (3/9); (D) Spinal cord angioma--20 per cent (2/10); and (E) Aortic lesion--20 per cent (1/5). Patients with sparing of motor function or pain sensation below the lesion do better than those without both functions. Neurological return also varies with the aetiology of the syndrome.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D007238:Infarction / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply*; D013577:Syndrome; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000473:pathology