ABSTRACT
Background: New neurologic deficits after spine surgery occur in less than 1% of cases. A particularly rare complication is white cord syndrome, a neurologic deterioration in the absence of obvious perioperative injury with concurrent hyperintense signal change on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The pathophysiologic mechanism is hypothesized to be an ischemia-reperfusion injury after the decompression of a chronically ischemic cord. Case Report: A 63-year-old male underwent posterior cervical decompression and fusion for severe cervical stenosis and myelopathy. During the procedure, intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring signals were lost. The patient developed acute postoperative tetraplegia attributed to white cord syndrome. Motor and sensory deficits improved after intravenous dexamethasone and intensive physical therapy. Conclusion: The pathophysiology of white cord syndrome is unclear, and intraoperative anesthetic management strategies to prevent this syndrome are unknown. This case serves to educate perioperative physicians to suspect this rare syndrome, encourage research into its pathophysiology, and guide clinicians in formulating therapeutic regimens.
ABSTRACT
CASE PRESENTATION: An 83-year-old woman was admitted to the intensive care unit for septic shock at which point an internal jugular central venous line was placed. The patient's common carotid artery was visualized in an atypical location, lateral to the internal jugular vein. Further inspection revealed the common carotid artery travelling in a rotational trajectory around the internal jugular vein. DISCUSSION: For at least two decades, point-of-care ultrasound has become the standard of care for placing central venous lines. This surprising anatomical orientation is rare and cautions physicians to fully explore a patient's anatomy prior to placing central lines.
