Post-traumatic syringomyelia with holocord involvement: a case report.

Abstract

Syringomyelia is a disorder in which a cyst, or syrinx, develops within the spinal cord. Historically, syringomyelia in post-traumatic spinal cord injury has been uncommon; however, its diagnosis has been increasing due to the advances in medical technology. Syringomyelia that involves the entire spinal cord, or holocord, is rare after traumatic spinal cord injury, with only a few cases reported in the literature. We present a case of a 57-year-old male who had a motorcycle accident 30 years ago resulting in a spinal cord injury, who presented a rapid decline in the function of his left upper extremity. Imaging studies were reviewed to reveal an expansive T2 hyperintense intramedullary spinal cord lesion from C1 inferiorly to the conus medullaris. The patient underwent a T6-T7 laminectomy for the placement of a syringosubarachnoid shunt. The patient was then transferred to acute inpatient rehabilitation where he underwent an intense course of therapy for 3 weeks while being monitored closely by physiatrists. The patient was able to make significant recovery and was successfully discharged home. There are a limited number of reports published about post-traumatic holocord syringomyelia. It is important to recognize this diagnosis during follow-up visits with spinal cord injury patients.