title: Non-traumatic acute paraplegia caused by cervical disc herniation in a patient with sleep apnoea.
abstract: A 57-year-old man with obstructive sleep apnoea presented with acute progression of myelopathy into paraplegia resulting from cervical disc herniation at C4-C5 and C5-C6 levels. There was no associated history of trauma. Rapid progress to paraplegia from non-traumatic cervical disc herniation rarely occurs. Diagnostic and treatment modalities are discussed. The possible relationship between cervical myelopathy and sleep apnoea is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308433. hsin_kai_goh@ttsh.com.sg
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology