Idiopathic spinal cord herniation: report of eight cases and review of the literature.
METHODS
A case series of eight patients with idiopathic spinal cord herniation and a review of the literature.


OBJECTIVE
To report on this rare entity, provide insight on its natural history, and propose an optimal management strategy.


BACKGROUND
Idiopathic spinal cord herniation is a rare disease with 50 cases reported before the current study.


METHODS
Eight cases (follow-up 1 month to 8 years) are reported using available information from patient charts, interviews, and assessments. All imaging studies are reviewed. The review of the literature was performed using PUBMED.


RESULTS
Four patients, followed without surgical intervention, have not progressed. Of the three patients who underwent surgical repair by one of the authors, two improved and one was unchanged. A fourth patient, who was initially treated by another surgeon who failed to identify the dural defect and herniation, had a poor outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
The pathophysiology of the dural defect is still uncertain. The typical presentation is Brown-Séquard syndrome. Microsurgical repair in cases with progression of neurologic deficits is usually successful in achieving recovery of function or arrest of progression.
Massicotte
Eric M
EM
Division of Neurosurgery and; Neuro-radiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Montanera
Walter
W
Ross Fleming
J F
JF
Tucker
William S
WS
Willinsky
Robert
R
TerBrugge
Karel
K
Fehlings
Michael G
MG
D000328:Adult; D018437:Brown-Sequard Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome