Transient paraparesis after laminectomy in a patient with multi-level ossification of the spinal ligament

Acute neurologic deterioration is not a rare event in the surgical decompression for thoracic spinal stenosis. We report a case of transient paraparesis after decompressive laminectomy in a 50-yr-old male patient with multi-level thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum and cervical ossificati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Korean medical science 2004-08, Vol.19 (4), p.624-626
Main Authors: Lee, Kyeong-Seok, Shim, Jae-Jun, Doh, Jae-Won, Yoon, Seok-Mann, Bae, Hack-Gun, Yun, Il-Gyu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case Report
Cervical Vertebrae - pathology
Cervical Vertebrae - surgery
Decompression, Surgical - adverse effects
Humans
Laminectomy - adverse effects
Ligamentum Flavum - pathology
Ligamentum Flavum - surgery
Longitudinal Ligaments - pathology
Longitudinal Ligaments - surgery
Male
Middle Aged
Ossification, Heterotopic
Paraparesis - etiology
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Summary:Acute neurologic deterioration is not a rare event in the surgical decompression for thoracic spinal stenosis. We report a case of transient paraparesis after decompressive laminectomy in a 50-yr-old male patient with multi-level thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum and cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Decompressive laminectomy from T9 to T11 was performed without gross neurological improvement. Two weeks after the first operation, laminoplasty from C4 to C6 and additional decompressive laminectomies of T3, T4, T6, and T8 were performed. Paraparesis developed 3 hr after the second operation, which recovered spontaneously 5 hr thereafter. CT and MRI were immediately performed, but there were no corresponding lesions. Vascular compromise of the borderlines of the arterial supply by microthrombi might be responsible for the paraparesis.
ISSN:1011-8934
1598-6357
DOI:10.3346/jkms.2004.19.4.624