Cervical myelopathy due to a "tight dural canal in flexion" with a posterior epidural cavity

Intern Med. 2002 Sep;41(9):746-8. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.41.746.

Abstract

A 41-year-old man noticed weakness and atrophy in his right hand and forearm resembling the non-progressive juvenile muscular atrophy of unilateral upper extremity (Hirayama's disease). MRI showed an abnormal cavity in the posterior epidural space which appeared on neck flexion communicating with the subarachnoid space in addition to the flattening of the lower cervical spinal cord on neck flexion. When evaluating atypical cases of Hirayama's disease, the pathomechanism demonstrated in the present case should be taken into consideration.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cervical Vertebrae / abnormalities*
  • Cervical Vertebrae / diagnostic imaging
  • Epidural Space / abnormalities*
  • Epidural Space / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Muscular Atrophy / etiology*
  • Myelography
  • Neck Pain / diagnostic imaging
  • Neck Pain / etiology*
  • Spinal Cord Compression / complications*
  • Spinal Cord Compression / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Upper Extremity / innervation*