Fibromyalgia and arachnoiditis presented as an acute spinal disorder

Adhesive arachnoiditis is a chronic, insidious condition that causes debilitating intractable pain and a range of other neurological problems. Its pathophysiology is not well understood. This manuscript discusses its presentations, which can mimic an acute spinal disorder, its hypothetical pathophysiology, treatment, and its relationship with fibromyalgia.

The authors present a case of a 47-year-old female who presented with clinical features mimicking an acute spinal disorder but later found to have an adhesive arachnoiditis. She was admitted following a trauma with complaints of back pain and paraplegia. On examination, there was marked tenderness over thoracolumbar spine with lower limbs upper motor neuron weakness. An urgent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine revealed multiple lesions at her thoracic and lumbar spinal canals, which did not compress the spinal cord. Therefore, conservative management was initiated. Despite on regular therapies, her back and body pain worsened and little improvement in her limbs power was noted. Laminectomy was pursued and found to have spinal cord arachnoiditis. Subsequently, she was operated by other team members for multiple pelvic masses, which later proved to be benign. After gathering all the clinical information obtained at surgery and after taking detailed history inclusive of cognitive functions, diagnosis of an adhesive arachnoiditis syndrome was made. Currently, she is managed by neuropsychologist and pain specialist.

This case report highlights the importance of knowing an adhesive arachnoiditis syndrome - a rarely discussed pathology by the neurosurgeon, which discloses a significant relationship between immune and nervous systems.