Keywords
Spinal Cord Infarction, paralysis, atherosclerotic embolism
Date of Presentation
5-1-2025 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
We report a case of an 89-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with acute bilateral lower extremity weakness after physical exertion. His clinical examination revealed paraplegia, and imaging studies suggested spinal cord infarction (SCI) secondary to presumed atherosclerotic embolism, despite the absence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The differential diagnosis for acute paraplegia in the elderly is broad, including conditions like stroke, spinal cord compression, transverse myelitis, and tick paralysis. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of SCI, particularly when the patient lacks overt risk factors for vascular disease. Despite aggressive management, including permissive hypertension and anticoagulation, the patient remained permanently paraplegic, underscoring the severity of SCI and the importance of early recognition and appropriate care in optimizing outcomes.
Disciplines
Diagnosis | Emergency Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nervous System Diseases | Neurology | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms
Included in
Diagnosis Commons, Emergency Medicine Commons, Nervous System Diseases Commons, Neurology Commons, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons
Case Report: An Unexpected Case of Spinal Cord Infarction
We report a case of an 89-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with acute bilateral lower extremity weakness after physical exertion. His clinical examination revealed paraplegia, and imaging studies suggested spinal cord infarction (SCI) secondary to presumed atherosclerotic embolism, despite the absence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The differential diagnosis for acute paraplegia in the elderly is broad, including conditions like stroke, spinal cord compression, transverse myelitis, and tick paralysis. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of SCI, particularly when the patient lacks overt risk factors for vascular disease. Despite aggressive management, including permissive hypertension and anticoagulation, the patient remained permanently paraplegic, underscoring the severity of SCI and the importance of early recognition and appropriate care in optimizing outcomes.
