[A case of conus medullaris infarction expanding to the vertebral bodies, major psoas and erector spinae muscles]

Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 2015;55(9):661-4. doi: 10.5692/clinicalneurol.cn-000729. Epub 2015 Jul 11.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

A 77-year-old woman presented with conus medullaris and cauda equina syndrome following a sudden pain in the bilateral lower abdomen and right buttock. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed not only a conus medullaris lesion, but also several lesions in the vertebral bodies (L1, L2), right major psoas muscle, right multifidus muscle and bilateral erector spinae muscles. As these areas receive blood supply from each branch of the same segmental artery, we considered all of the lesions as infarctions that were a result of a single parent vessel occlusion. It is known that a vertebral body lesion can be accompanied by a spinal cord infarction, but in combination with infarction of a muscle has not been reported. This is the first report of a concomitant spinal cord and muscle infarction revealed by MRI. It is noteworthy that a spinal cord infarction could expand not only to neighboring vertebral bodies, but also to muscles.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infarction / drug therapy
  • Infarction / pathology*
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / blood supply*
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / pathology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Methylprednisolone / administration & dosage
  • Paraspinal Muscles / blood supply*
  • Paraspinal Muscles / pathology
  • Polyradiculopathy / diagnosis
  • Polyradiculopathy / pathology*
  • Prednisolone / administration & dosage
  • Psoas Muscles / blood supply*
  • Psoas Muscles / pathology
  • Pulse Therapy, Drug
  • Spinal Cord / blood supply*
  • Spinal Cord / pathology
  • Spinal Cord Compression / diagnosis
  • Spinal Cord Compression / pathology*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Prednisolone
  • Methylprednisolone