title: Spinal cord infarction secondary to nucleus pulposus embolization in pregnancy.
abstract: Nucleus pulposus (NP) embolism is an extremely rare cause of spinal cord infarction. To our knowledge, it has not been reported in pregnancy in the English literature. A 41-year-old pregnant woman presented with clinical symptoms initially attributed to a transverse myelitis. After a complicated clinical course, she expired, and was found at autopsy to have NP embolism to the spinal cord. In conclusion NP embolism is a rare cause of spinal cord infarction, and should be considered in the differential of a patient presenting with symptoms compatible with spinal cord infarction in the pregnant as well as nonpregnant state.
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101, USA.
authors: Shweta
authors: S
authors: Uppal
authors: Subasini
authors: S
authors: Dash
authors: Leroy
authors: L
authors: Sharer
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Clark Lambert
authors: Debra S
authors: DS
authors: Heller
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Pullicino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology*; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology