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Published on: July 16, 2015
Spinal cord infarct caused from suspected fibrocartilaginous embolism
Ayham M Alkhachroum1, Danielle Weiss1, Alan Lerner1
1Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Introduction:
We report a case of spinal cord infarct as a result of suspected fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE).
Case Presentation:
A 23-year-old man presented with sudden onset cervical and upper back pain followed by progressive weakness in his extremities after throwing a baseball. History, neurologic examination and spinal cord imaging were consistent with spinal cord infarct. We believe the cause was from FCE.
Discussion:
Though rare, physicians should be familiar with this diagnosis and the proposed mechanisms. There is no specific treatment for FCE-related spinal cord infarct and long-term prognosis is largely dependent on the degree of spinal cord injury.
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