title: Cervical Klippel-Feil syndrome predisposing an elderly African man to central cord myelopathy following minor trauma.
abstract: An otherwise-healthy, active 83-year-old Nigerian man developed reversible central cord myelopathy from a mild fall on a level surface. Cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed C5, 6, and 7 block vertebrae and marked disc extrusions only at the immediately adjoining upper and lower non-fused segments of the cervical spine. There was no spinal canal stenosis otherwise. We think that the unique presentation of this case of Klippel-Feil syndrome further supports the impression that following fusion (congenital or acquired) of one segment of the spinal column, hypermobility of the non-fused adjoining segments may strongly predispose to more disc extrusions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurological Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. femdoy@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A Olufemi
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Adeleye
authors.forename: R Olusola
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Akinyemi
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007714:Klippel-Feil Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics