Acute spinal cord ischemia during aortography treated with intravenous thrombolytic therapy.
Acute anterior spinal cord ischemia is a rare but disastrous complication of endovascular aortic procedures. Although intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator is an effective treatment for acute brain ischemia, its use for the treatment of spinal cord ischemia has not previously been reported. We report the case of a patient who developed anterior spinal cord ischemia during diagnostic aortography He was treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator within 3 hours after the onset of symptoms. The patient had a rapid neurologic improvement and was discharged from the hospital 3 days after thrombolysis, regaining his ability to walk unassisted. We propose that acute spinal cord ischemia can be treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator within 3 hours after the onset of symptoms, as can any other case of acute ischemic stroke.
The Neurology Service, Texas Heart Institute and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. lrestre1@jhmi.edu
Lucas
L
Restrepo
Jorge F
JF
Guttin
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001027:Aortography; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator