ABSTRACT
Infarction of the spinal cord in childhood is rarely due to trauma. During a 15-year period (1971 to 1985), eight children were admitted to The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, with a diagnosis of traumatic infarction of the spinal cord. All of these patients had delayed onset of neurological signs varying between 2 hours and 4 days after their initial trauma. No bone abnormalities were seen on plain spine x-ray films. Myelography was carried out in seven of these children and found to be normal in all seven. Six patients who were paraplegic at the time of admission remained permanently paraplegic, but two with incomplete cord signs did show some improvement.
Subject(s)
Infarction/etiology , Spinal Cord Injuries/complications , Spinal Cord/blood supply , Angiography , Child , Child, Preschool , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Humans , Infant , Infarction/diagnostic imaging , Infarction/surgery , Laminectomy , Paraplegia/etiology , Spinal Cord/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Cord/surgery , Spinal Cord Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Cord Injuries/surgeryABSTRACT
Amongst the many patients with persisting neck pain and headache following cervical injuries are a small number in whom the mechanism is compression of the second cervical nerve root and ganglion. This paper describes the clinical features in 14 patients seen by the author. The main features are unilateral pain in the upper cervical and occipital region, tenderness in the suboccipital region, and diminished sensation in the C2 dermatome. The anatomical basis for this syndrome is discussed and illustrated with dissections from a cadaver.
