Rapidly Progressive Paraplegia in an 11-Year-Old Girl: A Case of Spinal Cord Infarction and Expected Imaging Findings

Bryan J Neth; Angela L Hewitt; Wendy S Edlund; Julie B Guerin; Marc C Patterson; Gesina F Keating

doi:10.1177/2329048X20981295

Rapidly Progressive Paraplegia in an 11-Year-Old Girl: A Case of Spinal Cord Infarction and Expected Imaging Findings

Child Neurol Open. 2020 Dec 22:7:2329048X20981295. doi: 10.1177/2329048X20981295. eCollection 2020 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Bryan J Neth¹, Angela L Hewitt², Wendy S Edlund², Julie B Guerin³, Marc C Patterson², Gesina F Keating²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
² Department of Child and Adolescent Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
³ Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Abstract

Rapidly progressive non-traumatic paraplegia in a child is uncommonly encountered in clinical practice, but is an important presentation to consider given the potential for significant morbidity. We present the case of an 11-year-old girl who was found to have hyperacute paraplegia due to spinal cord infarction. We discuss the appropriate workup, differential diagnosis in children and how this relates to adults; and describe the prognosis and current state of management options for spinal cord infarction.

Keywords: blood pressure augmentation; fibrocartilaginous embolism; infarct; paraplegia.

Publication types

Case Reports