Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Spinal cord compression is a form of myelopathy in which the spinal cord is compressed. Causes can be bone fragments from a vertebral fracture, a tumor , abscess , ruptured intervertebral disc or other lesion.
Once the spinal injury has occurred, one of two things may happen. Firstly, hemorrhaging within the spinal cord may cause compression, which damages the spinal cord even further. Another consequence of myelomalacia is improper circulation of blood to the area damaged, resulting in further damage to the spinal cord. [citation needed]
An X-ray of the spinal canal following injection of a contrast material into the surrounding cerebrospinal fluid spaces will reveal displacement of the contrast material. It can show the presence of structures that can cause pressure on the spinal cord or nerves, such as herniated discs, tumors, or bone spurs. Because myelography involves the ...
When due to trauma, myelopathy is known as (acute) spinal cord injury. When inflammatory, it is known as myelitis. Disease that is vascular in nature is known as vascular myelopathy. In Asian populations, spinal cord compression often occurs due to a different, inflammatory process affecting the posterior longitudinal ligament. [citation needed]
CT gives greater detail than X-rays, but exposes the patient to more radiation, [91] and it still does not give images of the spinal cord or ligaments; MRI shows body structures in the greatest detail. [10] Thus it is the standard for anyone who has neurological deficits found in SCI or is thought to have an unstable spinal column injury. [92]
MRI has become the most frequently used study to diagnose spinal stenosis. The MRI uses electromagnetic signals to produce images of the spine. MRIs are helpful because they show more structures, including nerves, muscles, and ligaments than seen on X-rays or CT scans. MRIs are helpful in showing exactly what is causing spinal nerve compression.
Compression of the upper spinal cord, multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, Behçet's disease, osteogenesis imperfecta In neurology , Lhermitte phenomenon , also called the barber chair phenomenon , is an uncomfortable "electrical" sensation that runs down the back and into the limbs.
Subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord, also known as myelosis funiculus, or funicular myelosis, [1] also Lichtheim's disease, [2] [3] and Putnam-Dana syndrome, [4] refers to degeneration of the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord as a result of vitamin B 12 deficiency (most common).