ABSTRACT
Intraspinal gas can be observed in a number of pathological settings including degenerative disc disease, infection, tumor or trauma, and in patients who have undergone therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. The air can be epidural, intradural or intradiscal. Intraspinal gas is usually asymptomatic. We report intraspinal gas in three patients, one with cervical, one with thoracic, and one with lumber disc disease and spondylolisthesis. The investigations were all completed at the the same medical center and CT and MRI were done in each case. The gas was in the epidural space in all three patients. These cases provide further evidence that intraspinal gas may persist without causing symptoms, and that resultant symptoms can disappear spontaneously. MRI is not reliable for diagnosing intraspinal gas; CT is recommended.
Subject(s)
Epidural Space/pathology , Gases , Spine/pathology , Aged , Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Cervical Vertebrae/pathology , Epidural Space/diagnostic imaging , Female , Humans , Intervertebral Disc/diagnostic imaging , Intervertebral Disc/pathology , Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Lumbar Vertebrae/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Spine/diagnostic imaging , Thoracic Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Thoracic Vertebrae/pathology , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Isolated foot drop due to a brain lesion is rare. A 48-year-old man complained of inability to dorsiflex the right foot. Right dorsiflexion had 0/5 muscle strength and there were no upper neuron findings on his neurological examination. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a left parasagittal brain mass. The lesion was removed and muscle activity returned with 3/5 muscle strength 6 weeks after the operation. The parasagittal area is located at the foot of the homunculus. Therefore, in patients with foot drop, lesions of the parasagittal area should be considered.
