The Journal of Laryngology & Otology

Table of Contents - 2010 - Volume 124, Issue 08  

Clinical Records

Anterior spinal artery syndrome: a rare complication of head and neck surgery

C Gadepallia1 c1, A Cardozoa1 and S Loughrana1

a1 Department of ENT, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK

Abstract

Objective: We report a case of anterior spinal artery syndrome, an extremely rare complication, following head and neck surgery.

Method: A case report and literature review concerning anterior spinal artery syndrome is presented.

Results: A 64-year-old man developed an anterior spinal artery infarction following total laryngectomy and bilateral neck dissections for post-radiotherapy glottic carcinoma. Anterior spinal artery infarction is a rare syndrome. It typically presents with weakness, loss of pain and temperature sensation below the level of the injury, with relative sparing of position and vibratory sensation. Recovery is variable.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report in the English language literature of anterior spinal artery syndrome following a head and neck procedure. This case report highlights a rare complication, and also the susceptibility of head and neck surgery patients to different complications. In head and neck cancer patients suffering anterior spinal artery syndrome following primary surgical treatment, we recommend that the management of this complication should be as aggressive as that of the primary cancer.

(Accepted November 06 2009)

(Online publication March 02 2010)

Key words

Correspondence:

c1 Address for correspondence: C Gadepalli, 10 Bispham Road, Great Sankey, Warrington WA5 2SU, UK. E-mail: chai32@yahoo.com

Footnotes

Mr C Gadepalli takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper.

Competing interests: None declared

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