Spinal cord infarction secondary to intervertebral foraminal disease.
METHODS
The 5 year review of patients referred to one center.


OBJECTIVE
To report spinal cord infarction secondary to vascular occlusion from disease in a lower thoracic intervertebral foramen.


METHODS
The clinical and imaging findings of two cases with acute spinal cord dysfunction are presented.


METHODS
Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries, England.


RESULTS
The CT and MR imaging features revealed lower thoracic unilateral foraminal occlusion due to acute facet joint septic arthritis in a diabetic patient, and secondary to chronic hypertrophic osteophytes in a second hypertensive individual. The presumed mechanism of infarction was occlusion of the artery of Adamkiewicz.


CONCLUSIONS
Foraminal disease in the lower thoracic levels needs to be entertained in cases of unexplained nontraumatic acute spinal cord dysfunction.
Ram
S
S
Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries, Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, Shropshire, UK.
Osman
A
A
Cassar-Pullicino
V N
VN
Short
D J
DJ
Masry
W E
WE
D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000098:blood supply; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology