Spontaneous extradural pneumorrhachis causing cervical myelopathy.

Abstract

Pneumorrhachis (intraspinal air) is usually asymptomatic. Therefore, most patients with pneumorrhachis usually are managed conservatively. Rarely, pneumorrhachis is symptomatic and associated with discomfort, pain, and neurological deficits. To present a 72-year-old man who presented with progressive weakness of the lower extremities with a large amount of intraspinal air that compressed the spinal cord. A case report Review of the medical record and radiographs. A C7 total laminectomy was performed, and the patient fully recovered 1 month after surgery. The possibility that neurological symptoms could be caused by non-traumatic intraspinal air should be considered.