Spinal Infarction: Anterior Spinal Artery Syndrome. Presentation of a Clinical Case

Abstract

Diseases of the nervous system are sometimes confined to the spinal cord, and there they give rise to peculiar syndromes that depend on the special physiological and anatomical characteristics of that organ. On the other hand, spinal arteries do not tend to show atherosclerosis and emboli rarely lodge in them, giving rise to vascular diseases (1%) where infarctions occur with some regularity at this level. The most common clinical presentation is anterior spinal artery syndrome, a sudden-onset pathology with neurological involvement and devastating and disabling consequences for the affected patient. Its manifestations vary depending on the level of occlusion in the affected area. We present the case of a 74-year-old female patient, who was admitted due to sudden loss of muscle strength in both lower limbs, with a timely diagnosis achieved through clinical and magnetic resonance imaging of the dorsolumbar spine.