Clinically suspected fibrocartilaginous embolism: clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes

Abstract

The diagnosis of FCE in life is common at this referral center, accounting for 5.5% of all cases of acute spinal cord infarction seen. Although FCE is a postmortem diagnosis, we propose clinical criteria for FCE in life to better characterize the relatively high number of patients with unexplained ischaemic myelopathy.

Fibrocartilaginous Embolism of The Spinal Cord - A Case Report

“…Fibrocartilaginous embolism is a rare clinical entity, having only a few cases reported in the literature [1,2,5]. Little is known about the condition, and disseminating knowledge about it is important so as to improve diagnostic accuracy and make it possible for specific therapies to be developed [1,6].…”

“…Fibrocartilaginous embolism of the spinal cord is considered a rare condition, with a poor and potentially fatal prognosis [1][2][3][4]. This entity is characterized by a sudden onset of clinical signs following a traumatic episode, with a peak of neurologic deficit in the first hours / days and usually normal CSF tests.…”

“…Fibrocartilaginous embolism of the spinal cord is considered a rare ischemic vascular syndrome [1][2][3][4], though some authors believe it to be underdiagnosed. It results in abrupt onset and rapidly progressive sensory, motor and autonomic neurologic deficits.…”

“…Low-energy traumas can cause rupture of the annulus fibrosus, with subsequent displacement of emboli from the nucleus pulposus of intervertebral discs to the inside of the arterial branches that supply the spinal cord parenchyma, causing arterial occlusion and subsequent spinal cord ischemia [1][2][3]5].…”

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AbstractFibrocartilaginous embolism of the spinal cord is considered a rare ischemic vascular syndrome [1][2][3][4], though some authors believe it to be underdiagnosed. It results in abrupt onset and rapidly progressive sensory, motor and autonomic neurologic deficits.

This paper reports a case of a teenage patient presenting with sudden onset rapidly progressive back pain associated with paraparesthesia, paraparesis and urinary retention after physical exertion.

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