Ischemic Cauda equina Syndrome Due to Spinal Embolization as a First Manifestation of an Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Youssef Zrihni^1*, Tiia Kukkonen², Fabien Thaveau¹, Elie Girsowicz¹, Yannick Georg¹, Nabil Chakfe¹

¹Department of Vascular Surgery and Kidney Transplantation, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
²Department of Vascular Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

DOI: 10.4236/wjcs.2015.56010                

Abstract

Spinal cord ischemia is an uncommon complication of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We report the case of a 59-year-old man admitted for an acute ischemic Cauda equina syndrome secondary to a spinal cord embolization from an unknown partially thrombosed aortic aneurysm. The patient being at risk of further embolization, we achieved an emergency EVAR. The vascular post-operative course was uneventful. Neurologically, a post operative lumbar medullar MRI confirmed an ischemic Cauda equina syndrome and six months after the surgery, the patient still had a motor and sensory deficit in both lower limbs.

Keywords

Cauda equina Syndrome, Aortic Aneurysm, Endovascular Repair

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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