Dyspnea as the Presenting Symptom of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Background  A case report of acute unilateral hemidiaphragm paralysis and resultant dyspnea due to cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is described. Case Report  An 82-year-old man presented with a nonproductive cough, chest congestion, hoarseness, and shortness of breath on ambulation. The patient underwent cardiac catheterization, which revealed extensive stenosis of the major cardiac arteries. Subsequently, he underwent triple coronary artery bypass grafting. Despite the cardiac surgery, the patient's dyspnea did not improve. In addition, he developed new complaints of generalized weakness. Magnetic resonance and radiographic imaging of the cervical spine revealed extensive multilevel degenerative spondylosis with moderate to severe central canal narrowing from C2 to C7 and myelomalacia. The patient underwent C2-C6 laminectomy and instrumented fusion with local autograft. After surgery, the patient had gradual relief of dyspnea as well as improvement of strength. The dyspnea completely resolved. Conclusion  The diagnosis of CSM as the cause of dyspnea is difficult to make. When unrelated cardiac or pulmonary disease coexists, the presenting symptoms of CSM may be subtle and must be actively sought. Signs and symptoms can vary widely and may include symptoms of intermittent neck pain or headache. Dyspnea may be related to unilateral diaphragm paralysis caused by CSM. This etiology of dyspnea should be considered in elderly patients who have other comorbidities that often obscure the diagnosis.