ABSTRACT
Abstract We present a patient with unstable angina candidate for coronary artery bypass grafting. Saphenous vein graft was used in obtuse marginal and left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending artery properly. After surgery, the patient experienced flaccid paralysis of lower limb and impaired sensation of touch and warmth of knee and below. A computed tomography angiogram of lower limbs and thoracolumbar magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormality. Based on the symptom, clinical diagnosis of anterior spinal artery syndrome was considered. The artery of Adamkiewicz is an important supplier to the anterior spinal artery. Internal thoracic mammary artery, used in coronary artery bypass grafting, is suspected as a collateral supplier of the artery of Adamkiewicz and has been accused for cause of spinal infarction.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Paraplegia/etiology , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Coronary Artery Bypass/adverse effects , Anterior Spinal Artery Syndrome/etiology , Paraplegia/diagnostic imaging , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Angiography , Fatal Outcome , Anterior Spinal Artery Syndrome/diagnostic imaging , Lower Extremity/diagnostic imaging , Mammary ArteriesABSTRACT
Fifty seven patients (42 males and 15 females) with non-compressive myelopathy were studied from 1997 to 1999. Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) was the commonest (31) followed by Vit B12 deficiency myelopathy (8), primary progressive multiple sclerosis (5), hereditary spastic paraplegia (3), tropical spastic paraplegia (2), subacute necrotising myelitis (1), radiation myelitis (1), syphilitic myelitis (1) and herpes zoster myelitis (1). 4 cases remained unclassified. In the ATM group, mean age was 30.35 years, antecedent event was observed in 41.9% case, 25 cases had symmetrical involvement and most of the cases had severe deficit at onset. CSF study carried out in 23 patients of ATM revealed rise in proteins (mean 147.95mg%, range 20-1200 mg/dL) and pleocytosis (mean 20.78/cumm, range 0-200 mm3). Oligoclonal band (OCB) was present in 28% of cases of ATM. The most common abnormality detected was a multisegment hyperintense lesion on T2W images, that occupied the central area on cross section. In 6 patients hyperintense signal was eccentric in location. MRI was normal in 4 cases of ATM. Thus ATM is the leading cause of non-compressive myelopathy. Clinical features combined with MRI findings are helpful in defining the cause of ATM.