title: The adult spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormalities syndrome: magnetic resonance imaging and clinical findings in adults with spinal cord injuries having normal radiographs and computed tomography studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormalities (SCIWORA) is thought to represent mostly a pediatric entity and its incidence in adults is rather underreported. Some authors have also proposed the term spinal cord injury without radiologic evidence of trauma, as more precisely describing the condition of adult SCIWORA in the setting of cervical spondylosis. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate adult patients with cervical spine injuries and radiological-clinical examination discrepancy, and to discuss their characteristics and current management.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 16-year period, 166 patients with a cervical spine injury were admitted in our institution (Level I trauma center). Upper cervical spine injuries (occiput to C2, 54 patients) were treated mainly by a Halo vest, whereas lower cervical spine injuries (C3-T1, 112 patients) were treated surgically either with an anterior, or posterior procedure, or both.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven of these 166 patients (4.2%) had a radiologic-clinical mismatch, i.e., they presented with frank spinal cord injury with no signs of trauma, and were included in the study. Magnetic resonance imaging was available for 6 of 7 patients, showing intramedullary signal changes in 5 of 6 patients with varying degrees of compression from the disc and/or the ligamentum flavum, whereas the remaining patient had only traumatic herniation of the intervertebral disc and ligamentum flavum bulging. Follow-up period was 6.4 years on average (1-10 years).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This retrospective chart review provides information on adult patients with cervical spinal cord injuries whose radiographs and computed tomography studies were normal. It furthers reinforces the pathologic background of SCIWORA in an adult population, when evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging. Particularly for patients with cervical spondylosis, special attention should be paid with regard to vascular compromise by predisposing factors such as smoking or vascular disease, since they probably contribute in the development of SCIWORA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital of Patras, Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Kasimatis
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Panagiotopoulos
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Megas
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matzaroglou
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gliatis
authors.forename: Minos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tyllianakis
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lambiris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D016896:Treatment Outcome