Descriptive Study of Acute Spontaneous Spinal Cord Infarction

Acute spontaneous Spinal Cord Infarctions (SCI) are an uncommon cause of myelopathy (5%), but their prognostic is heterogeneous and frequently severe. Positive diagnosis is difficult, one quarter of initial MRIs are normal. Differential diagnosis with other transverse myelopathy causes is a common issue. As in cerebral stroke, there are multiple causes and mechanisms in spontaneous SCI, often difficult to clearly establish. There are also clinical and radiological patterns, sometimes misleading, according to vascular territory and its expanse.

Due to its scarcity and heterogeneity, improving knowledge and medical care remains difficult. Medical care is still badly codified in medical literature. Recently, diagnostic criteria have been proposed to better identify SCI, provide earlier care and homogenize future research. External validity and reproduction of these new criteria among acute myelopathies are still to be validated.

While there is no established medical treatment in the initial care of spontaneous SCI, some case reports show successful treatment with IV thrombolysis. Given the severe prognosis, conventional treatment of strokes (thrombolysis, anticoagulant and antiplatelet), could be considered on an individual scale, in a specific protocol. A better knowledge of radio-clinical and security factors are necessary to support this approach.

In order to respond to these difficulties, a retrospective cohort will allow us to better define epidemiological, clinico-radiological and prognostic features of spontaneous SCI. It lays the foundation of a possible prospective multicentric cohort, necessary for specific therapeutic studies.