• Neveada Raventhiranathan, Kalliopi Petropoulou, Ai Sakonju, Dmitriy Bakrukov, and Kavya Mirchia.
• Department of Radiology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
• Radiol Case Rep. 2021 Aug 1; 16 (8): 1951-1955.

AbstractFibrocartilaginous embolic infarction of the spinal cord is a rare cause of acute back pain and motor weakness. Most symptoms start after minor trauma that is often considered harmless and forgotten, however these minor injuries can result in lethal consequences. It is quite rare to diagnose fibrocartilaginous embolism in a timely manner and start treatment to prevent poor outcomes. We present the case of a previously healthy eight-year-old female with sudden onset neck pain and progressive bilateral upper extremity weakness following an injury while playing with her younger sister. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spinal cord without contrast revealed a posterior disc protrusion suggestive of post-traumatic spinal cord infarction due to fibrocartilaginous embolism. In young, otherwise healthy, patients with acute motor deficits, radiographic imaging can help identify rare presentations like fibrocartilaginous embolism in order to rapidly diagnose and efficiently treat such patients.© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.

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