title: Spinal Cord Infarction in Clinical Neurology: A Review of Characteristics and Long-Term Prognosis in Comparison to Cerebral Infarction.
abstract: Spinal cord stroke is rare accounting for 0.3-1% of all strokes and is classified into upper (cervical) and lower (thoracolumbar) strokes. Patients present with severe deficits but later often show good functional improvement. On admission, younger age, male gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and elevated blood glucose indicate more severe spinal cord strokes. Treatment of these risk factors is essential in the acute phase. Biphasic spinal cord strokes are seen in one-fifth of the patients. These present with acute or transient sensory spinal cord deficits often preceded by radiating pain between the shoulders, and should be considered and treated as imminent spinal cord strokes. Spinal cord infarction patients are younger and more often women compared to cerebral infarction patients. Traditional cerebrovascular risk factors are less relevant in spinal cord infarction. Spinal cord infarction patients are more likely to be discharged home and show better improvement after initial treatment compared to cerebral infarction patients. On long-term follow-up, spinal cord infarction patients have lower mortality and higher emotional well-being scores than cerebral infarction patients. Despite more chronic pain, the frequency of re-employment is higher among spinal cord infarction patients compared to cerebral infarction patients who are more often afflicted with cognitive function deficits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romi
authors.forename: Halvor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naess
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D007238:Infarction / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply*; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose