Korean J Anesthesiol.  2007 Apr;52(4):471-474. 10.4097/kjae.2007.52.4.471.

Spinal Cord Infarction following Spine Surgery in the Patient with Vertebral Bursting Fracture : A case report

• Park SJ
• Jung HC
• Jee DL

• KMID: 1937579
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2007.52.4.471

Abstract

Spinal cord infarction as a complication of spine surgery occurs rarely. Herein, a case of spinal cord infarction, which developed in a 69 year old woman following posterior decompression and internal fixation for a T11 bursting fracture, is descirbed. The anesthetic induction and intraoperative course were uneventful, except at the end of the procedure, where her blood pressure suddenly dropped from 130/90 to 90/60 mmHg. The patient was aggressively treated with a transfusion and vasopressor, the blood pressure then returned to its usual value within 10 minutes. However, during a physical examination in the recovery room, the patient was found to have flaccid lower limbs, with impaired sensory function below the T8 level. Her cord diameter had increased, and a high signal lesion was observed within the thoracic spinal cord, from T9 to T12 level on T2-weighted MR images, which was diagnosing as a spinal cord infarction, was and showed no improvement despite the immediate and aggressive treatment.

Keyword

spinal cord infarction; spine surgery

MeSH Terms

Aged
Blood Pressure
Decompression
Female
Humans
Infarction*
Lower Extremity
Physical Examination
Recovery Room
Sensation
Spinal Cord*
Spine*