Eight-year follow-up findings of surgical treatment for severe dystrophic changes in the cervical spine associated with neurofibromatosis type I: a case report.

Abstract

Long-term follow-up findings for dystrophic changes in the cervical spine caused by neurofibromatosis type 1 have been rarely reported. A 13-year-old boy with severe dural ectasia in the cervical spine underwent cervical posterior fusion from C1 to C5 for prevention of cervical spine fracture and spinal injury. We followed him up for 8 years after surgery. We measured the progression of the destruction on yearly MRI. The dural ectasia gradually progressed until 3 years postoperatively. Subsequently, no further enlargement of the dural sac occurred. At the 8-year follow-up examination, the patient had no limitations in the activities of daily life.