Diaphragmatic paralysis in a patient with spinal cord infarction.
This report describes the rare case of a 72-year-old woman with spinal cord infarction who presented with persistent diaphragmatic paralysis. Her neurological examination showed tetraplegia, sensory loss to pain and thermal stimulations, and paradoxical abdominal movement. Chest X-ray and diaphragmatic fluoroscopy revealed absent diaphragmatic movement. A cervical magnetic resonance image showed bilateral anterior spinal cord lesions from the level of the second to the fifth cervical vertebrae. Diaphragmatic paralysis should be recognized as a clinical sign of cervical spinal cord infarction. Particular attention must be given to paradoxical abdominal movement during respiration in this disorder.
Matsumoto
Hideyuki
H
Department of Neurology, Yokohama Rosai Hospital, Yokohama. hideyukimatsumoto@mail.goo.ne.jp
Nakayama
Takahiro
T
Hamaguchi
Hirotoshi
H
Nakamori
Tomoki
T
Ikagawa
Takashi
T
Oda
Tetsuya
T
Imafuku
Ichiro
I
D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012133:Respiratory Paralysis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply*; D014139:Tracheostomy
D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents