Spinal cord infarction following vertebral angiography: clinical and pathological findings

Spinal cord damage from radiographic contrast material has been known to occur in both spinal and nonspinal angiographic procedures. Reported here is cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) during vertebral angiography. During the procedure, the patient displayed signs of acute cervical spinal cord irritation that should have been taken as a warning of impending injury. Autopsy 9 years later showed evidence of central cervical spinal cord necrosis. The pathological findings are similar to those seen in animal models of contrast media-induced SCI; and the pathophysiological mechanisms of such injury are discussed.