A unique case of pure lateral spinal cord herniation
D Vanden Bulcke1, B Baussart2, S Auliac3
1Department of neurosurgery, Foch hospital, 40, rue Worth, 92150 Suresnes, France; Department of neurosurgery, cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
Background:
Spinal cord herniation (SCH) remains a challenging diagnosis for neuroradiologists and may require treatment challenging for neurosurgeons. Most cord herniations are usually found at anterior thoracic levels.
Clinical Presentation:
A 28-year-old woman presented at our department with a 7-year history of progressive myelopathy. MR analysis showed a displacement of the spinal cord in a lateral thoracic dural defect. The herniated cord was released using a microscope and the patient significantly recovered 6 months after surgery.
Conclusion:
We present a unique case of pure lateral SCH. In the light of reviewed literature and operative findings, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are discussed.
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