Arachnoiditis ossificans in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis, syringomyelia, and a history of spinal surgery

Abstract

In this article, we describe a patient unusual presenting with both arachnoiditis ossificans and syringomyelia. We have reviewed the patient's evaluation, surgery, and treatment. This patient developed paraparesis following thoracolumbar spinal surgery to treat kyphosis secondary to ankylosing spondylitis. We performed a T9-T11 total laminectomy, drained the cyst, dissected and removed the calcified plaques posterior to the cord, and decompressed the neural structures. Symptomatic arachnoiditis ossificans (AO) a rare clinical manifestation is characterized by the calcification or ossification of the spinal arachnoid. The occurrence of AO with syringomyelia is rare. To date, a few cases with both AO and ankylosing spondylitis have been reported.