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Repeated early thrombolysis in cervical spinal cord ischemia

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Abstract

Specific therapy of acute spinal ischemia is not established. We report the first case of an MRI-verified cervical spinal ischemia treated by thrombolysis and review the literature. A 72-year old woman with right-sided motor hemiparesis and trunk ataxia was treated by intravenous thrombolysis with full recovery. Three days later she developed again a severe right-sided sensorimotor hemiparesis and a second off-label intravenous thrombolysis was repeated. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a right-sided posterior-lateral cervical spinal ischemia. Spinal ischemia may clinically present with a cerebral-stroke-like picture challenging diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. Systemic thrombolysis might be a treatment option in acute spinal ischemia. In addition, early repeated systemic thrombolysis may be considered in selected strokes.

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Correspondence to Thorleif Etgen.

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Etgen, T., Höcherl, C. Repeated early thrombolysis in cervical spinal cord ischemia. J Thromb Thrombolysis 42, 142–145 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-015-1332-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-015-1332-1

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