What Is Spinal Cord Infarction?

Since most of the blood supply to the spinal cord is provided by 2 or 3 main arterial branches, the spinal cord segments in the "watershed" area where these main arterial branches supply, that is, thoracic 2 to thoracic 4 segments, are most vulnerable to ischemia However, thrombosis of the spinal cord blood vessels is rare, but compression of the blood vessels (for example, from tumors or acute disc herniation) or occlusion due to distant causes (for example, aortic surgery or aortic dissection aneurysm) is Spinal infarction is more common. Rarely, nodular polyarteritis can cause occlusion of the spinal artery.

Spinal infarction

Since most of the blood supply to the spinal cord is provided by 2 or 3 main arterial branches, the spinal cord segments in the "watershed" area where these main arterial branches supply, that is, thoracic 2 to thoracic 4 segments, are most vulnerable to ischemia However, thrombosis of the spinal cord blood vessels is rare, but compression of the blood vessels (for example, from tumors or acute disc herniation) or occlusion due to distant causes (for example, aortic surgery or aortic dissection aneurysm) is Spinal infarction is more common. Rarely, nodular polyarteritis can cause occlusion of the spinal artery.

Sudden pain appears in the area dominated by the back and the damaged spinal cord segment, followed by bilateral lax limb paralysis, accompanied by detached sensory disturbance below the infarct level, which is mainly the disturbance of pain and temperature. The supply area of the anterior spinal artery is usually affected, so tactile, proprioceptive, and vibrational sensations are not affected.They are transmitted through the conduction beam in the posterior column of the spinal cord. Like all infarcts, neurological disorders are the most severe in the first few days. Significantly, there may be partial relief over time.

Autoimmune acute transverse myelitis, stress caused by spinal cord tumors or other occupying lesions, and spinal demyelinating disease can produce similar signs to spinal infarction and must be examined by MRI or spinal angiography (such as No MRI equipment), or cerebrospinal fluid examination to rule out. The treatment is limited to symptomatic, you must turn over frequently, pay attention to skin care, keep the airway open, and combine physiotherapy and work therapy. If there is bladder dysfunction, perform intermittent urinary catheterization under strict aseptic conditions More appropriate than indwelling catheterization.