A 12 year-old female presented to the emergency department with a right hemiparesis, headache, and neck pain. Initial neural imaging studies were unremarkable. However, a repeat MRI of the cervical spine during her acute hospitalization showed an acute spinal infarct. Neurological workup was consistent with fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) as the etiology. After several weeks of intensive inpatient rehabilitation, the patient demonstrated remarkable functional progress. This case report reviews the comprehensive pediatric literature on FCE with focus on the mechanism of injury, role of imaging studies, treatment options and prognosis. Awareness of the typical clinical history, as well as the signs and symptoms characteristic of FCE will improve the identification of this rare cause of abrupt weakness and potentially facilitate functional recovery.
Keywords: Fibrocartilaginous embolism; rehabilitation; spinal cord infarct; stroke.