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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
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Reproducible Motor Deficit Following Aortic Occlusion in a Rat Model Of Spinal Cord Ischemia
Published on: July 22, 2017
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Acute aortic occlusion presenting as flaccid paraplegia
Ayman Kilany1, Jasem Y Al-Hashel2, Azza Rady2
1Department of Neurology, Ibn Sina Hospital, P.O. Box 25427, Safat, 13115 Kuwait City, Kuwait ; Department of Research on Children with Special Needs, National Research Center, Egypt.
Case Reports in Neurological Medicine
|April 14, 2015
Summary
Sudden severe back pain and leg weakness can signal acute aortic occlusion, a critical condition. Prompt diagnosis is vital, even with palpable pulses, to prevent permanent damage.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Neurology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Acute flaccid paraplegia presents a diagnostic challenge, often mimicking spinal cord pathology.
- Peripheral pulses may remain palpable despite significant arterial compromise, complicating diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight acute aortic occlusion as a critical differential diagnosis for acute flaccid paraplegia.
- To underscore the importance of considering vascular causes even when distal pulses are present.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 67-year-old male with hypertension and diabetes.
- Diagnostic workup included MRI of the spine, nerve conduction studies, CSF analysis, and CT angiography.
- Exclusion of acute compressive myelopathy and identification of severe stenosis in the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries.
Main Results:
- Initial presentation of severe low back pain and flaccid paraplegia.
- MRI ruled out spinal cord compression.
- Nerve conduction studies suggested demyelinating polyneuropathy.
- CT angiography revealed critical stenosis of the abdominal aorta and common iliac arteries, indicating acute aortic occlusion.
- Patient developed lower limb ischemic changes.
Conclusions:
- Acute aortic occlusion should be strongly considered in the differential diagnosis of acute flaccid paraplegia.
- The presence of distal pulsations does not exclude severe aortic stenosis.
- Early vascular imaging is crucial for timely diagnosis and intervention in such cases.
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