title: Leading a Patient of Ankylosing Spondylitis to Death by Iatrogenic Spinal Fracture.
abstract: Fractures in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are often difficult to identify and treat. If combined with osteoporosis, the spine becomes weaker and vulnerable to minor trauma. An 83-year-old woman with a history of chronic AS and severe osteoporosis developed paraparesis and voiding difficulty for 4 days prior. She had been placed in the lateral decubitus position in a bedridden state in a convalescent hospital due to the progressive paraparesis. The laboratory findings showed CO2 retention in the arterial blood gas analysis. After the patient was transferred to the computed tomography (CT) room, a CT was taken in the supine position. Approximately half an hour later, the resident in our neurosurgical department checked on her, and the neurological examination showed a complete paraplegic state. She was treated conservatively and finally expired 20 days later.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Doh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jai-Joon
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyeong-Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis; Osteoporosis; Spine fractures