Paraplegia caused by painless acute aortic dissection

J. Inamasu, S. Hori, M. Yokoyama, T. Funabiki, K. Aoki, N. Aikawa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: Painless acute aortic dissection in which paraplegia is the only presenting sign is rare, with limited reported cases. Case report: The authors report a patient with painless acute aortic dissection who presented with sudden onset paraplegia. Ischemic diseases of the spinal cord were suspected as the cause. MRI revealed extensive acute aortic dissection with an intramural hematoma. The patient was treated conservatively by strictly controlling his blood pressure. The treatment was successful, although the motor function of the lower extremities could not be rescued. Although 3% to 5% of patients with acute aortic dissection present with paraplegia as a result of spinal cord infarction, most of these patients experience severe pain prior to presentation. Conclusion: Painless acute aortic dissection in which paraplegia is the only presenting sign is very rare. However, aortic diseases, including acute aortic dissection, should always be considered as a differential diagnosis of patients with sudden onset, painless paraplegia.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)702-704
Number of pages3
JournalSpinal Cord
Volume38
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2000
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Rehabilitation
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Paraplegia caused by painless acute aortic dissection'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this