Coexistent cervical spine fusion and thoracic disc herniations with acute myelitis.

Thoracic disc herniations are commonly found in asymptomatic individuals, sometimes with genetic predisposition. Congenital fusions of cervical vertebrae occur in Klippel-Feil syndrome, which may be asymptomatic or cause compressive myelitis due to cervical instability or associated herniated discs. We report the case of a 72-year-old man with monophasic acute transverse myelitis probably caused by herpes simplex virus, coexistent with fused cervical vertebrae (C4-C5) and thoracic herniated discs. Establishment of the aetiology in cases of transverse acute myelitis can constitute a challenge in patients with cervical spine anomaly and disc herniations.