Abstract
We retrospectively evaluated the clinical features and outcomes of acute spinal cord infarction (SCI). We examined the records of 14 patients with SCI (7 males and 7 females; age range, 22 to 74 years; median age, 63 years) who had been admitted to our departments between April 1997 and September 2008. Six of the 14 patients had no cardiovascular risk factors. Two patients had cervical disc herniation close to the ischemic lesion. Regarding clinical features, 11 patients had anterior spinal artery syndrome, one had Brown-Séquard syndrome, and two had transverse syndromes. The initial symptom was pain in eight patients, weakness in four patients, and sensory disturbance in two patients. All patients had an acute or sudden onset and a monophasic clinical course. Eight patients were treated with antithrombotic therapy, one with corticosteroids, and five with both antithrombotic therapy and corticosteroids. At the time of discharge, six patients could walk without assistance (favorable outcome). Patients who were female, had long cord lesions, had transverse syndromes, or presented with weakness tended to have a poor outcome.
