Spinal cord infarction secondary to nucleus pulposus embolization in pregnancy.

Uppal, Shweta; Dash, Subasini; Sharer, Leroy; Clark Lambert, William; Heller, Debra S; Pullicino, Patrick · Mod Pathol · 2004

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

Nucleus pulposus (NP) embolism is an extremely rare cause of spinal cord infarction. To our knowledge, it has not been reported in pregnancy in the English literature. A 41-year-old pregnant woman presented with clinical symptoms initially attributed to a transverse myelitis. After a complicated clinical course, she expired, and was found at autopsy to have NP embolism to the spinal cord. In conclusion NP embolism is a rare cause of spinal cord infarction, and should be considered in the differential of a patient presenting with symptoms compatible with spinal cord infarction in the pregnant as well as nonpregnant state.

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