Sudden Onset of Paraplegia With Rapid Progression to Tetraplegia in a Middle-Aged Man: What is the Diagnosis?

Abstract

Anterior cord syndrome due to anterior spinal cord infarction is commonly described in the medical literature, however, in clinical practice, this entity is rarely encountered. We present a 58-year-old man with sudden onset of bilateral lower limb weakness, followed by bilateral upper limbs involvement. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the whole spine was performed and he was diagnosed to have anterior spinal cord infarct. The characteristic imaging findings were highlighted.