Related Experiment Videos
Spinal cord degeneration associated with type II decompression sickness: case report
I M Calder1, A C Palmer, J T Hughes
1Institute of Pathology, London Hospital Medical College, UK.
Paraplegia
|February 1, 1989
Summary
Type II decompression sickness caused spinal cord infarcts in a diver, leading to paraplegia. Neuropathology revealed Wallerian degeneration due to arterial supply disruption, sparing grey matter.
Area of Science:
- Neuropathology
- Diving Medicine
- Spinal Cord Injury
Background:
- Decompression sickness (DCS) can cause neurological injury.
- Type II DCS involves spinal cord damage, often termed a spinal 'bend'.
- Understanding the precise pathological mechanisms is crucial for patient outcomes.
Observation:
- A 50-year-old male amateur diver experienced Type II DCS.
- He survived for 4 years with paraplegia.
- Necropsy revealed spinal cord pathology.
Findings:
- Multiple small and medium-sized infarcts were identified in the spinal cord.
- These infarcts affected the centripetal arterial supply to the cord.
- Upward Wallerian degeneration in posterior columns and downward degeneration in corticospinal tracts were observed.
- A rim of subpial fibers in posterior and lateral columns was preserved.
- The grey matter and adjacent white matter, supplied by centrifugal arteries, remained unaffected.
Implications:
- This case highlights the specific vascular territories affected in spinal DCS.
- The findings explain the pattern of neurological deficits and degeneration.
- Preservation of grey matter suggests differential vulnerability based on arterial supply.