• Mei-Yun Cheng, Rong-Kuo Lyu, Yeu-Jhy Chang, Chiung-Mei Chen, Sien-Tsong Chen, Yau-Yau Wai, and Long-Sun Ro.
• Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taipei 10591, Taiwan. cheng-mei-yun@yahoo.com.tw
• J. Neurol. 2009 Sep 1;256(9):1418-26.

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between clinical features and imaging characteristics of spinal cord infarction (SCI). Twenty patients (11 women/9 men) were diagnosed at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between March 1993 and March 2007. Data of clinical features, possible causes and imaging findings were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Their average age was 56.6 +/- 15.5 years. Possible causes of SCI were found in 16 patients (80%), including 8 (40%) who had a high risk of atherosclerosis, 5 (25%) who had aortic diseases, and 3 (15%) who had adjacent spinal diseases; the other 4 (20%) were cryptogenic. Seven patients had concomitant SCI and vertebral body infarctions, and four of them had aortic diseases. Most of the vertebral body infarctions were seen in the thoracolumbar regions (p = 0.008, chi(2) test) and were adjacent to their cord lesions. Twelve patients (60%) had poor outcomes (mortality, unable to walk, or able to walk with two aids). Younger patients (

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