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[A case of spinal hemorrhage associated with abdominal aortic coarctation]
1Department of Neurology, NTT Kanto Teishin Hospital.
Insights
A rare case of abdominal aortic coarctation led to paraplegia from spinal artery hemorrhage. This highlights a unique presentation of aortic coarctation and its severe neurological complications.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Neurology
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Coarctation of the aorta typically affects the aortic isthmus, potentially causing cervical and upper thoracic myelopathy.
- Abdominal aortic coarctation is an uncommon variant of this condition.
Observation:
- A 59-year-old male with abdominal aortic coarctation presented with paraplegia.
- The paraplegia was caused by a spinal hemorrhage resulting from a ruptured, abnormally dilated spinal artery.
Findings:
- This is the first reported case of abdominal aortic coarctation associated with hemorrhagic transverse myelopathy.
- The spinal hemorrhage occurred post-operatively, potentially exacerbated by warfarin therapy.
Implications:
- This case expands the spectrum of neurological complications associated with aortic coarctation.
- It underscores the importance of considering vascular anomalies in unexplained spinal hemorrhages, especially in patients with known aortic conditions.
Abstract:
We report a 59-year-old male with abdominal aortic coarctation presented as paraplegia due to spinal hemorrhage caused by the rupture of abnormally dilated spinal artery. In coarctation of aorta, coarctation is usually located in the aortic isthmus which could be the cause of cervical and upper thoracic myelopathy. However, there has been no report of abdominal aortic coarctation with hemorrhagic transverse myelopathy. In this case hemorrhage occurred after surgical treatment and prescribed warfarin may have exaggerated the outcome.