Clinical characteristics and prognosis of children with spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormality caused by non-severe violence / 中国小儿急救医学

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of children with spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormality caused by non-severe violence, and to raise the awareness of spinal cord injury in children.Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on the age of onset, injury mechanism, main clinical symptoms and occurrence time, treatment process and recovery of children with spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormality caused by non-severe violence. The children were admitted to our hospital from August 2015 to September 2020. Abnormal findings in spinal cord MRI in acute stage were analyzed, and long-term prognosis was followed up by telephone. The degree of spinal cord injury was determined according to the criteria established by the American Spinal Cord Injury Association.Results:Of six patients, three boys and three girls, aged from 16 months to 8 years old.Injury mechanism fall on the bed, a sudden fall in standing position, fall while jumping in sports.All of the symptoms appeared immediately after trauma, such as limb weakness, pain, unable to walk, urination disorders.Treatment process spinal immobilization, methylprednisolone pulse therapy[20 mg/(kg·d)], alleviat edema and protect the nerve system, necessary symptomatic treatment including urethral catheterization, the use of antibiotics, timely rehabilitation treatment.No fracture or dislocation was found in all six patients by spinal cord radiometric examination, and MRI of spinal cord indicated abnormal signals of thoracic cord or below. The recovery sequence of spinal cord function urination function recovery, pain from lower limbs relief, lower limbs weakness improvement.By the time of follow-up by telephone, the course of disease was 1 to 5 years. Urine fecal incontinence was found in one patient, and his muscle strength of both lower extremities belong to grade Ⅰ, atrophic changes were found in spinal cord MRI.The remaining five patients were able to walk independently, complained of leg pain during long distance walking, mild varus or valgus, and no obvious abnormality in spinal cord MRI.Conclusion:In daily activities, except bend down in dancing, falling on the sacral tail is easy to cause spinal cord injury without fracture and dislocation in children. The damaged spinal cord function often cannot recover thoroughly, and even cannot recover. It is advisable to identify early, formulate comprehensive treatment measures in time, strive to improve the prognosis.