HERNIATION OF THE SPINAL-CORD 38 YEARS AFTER CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

We report an unusual post-traumatic spinal cord herniation, which beca me symptomatic 38 years after the trauma. A 44-year-old man presented with a 2-year history of increasing impotence, neuropathic bladder dys function and dissociated sensory loss below the level of T6. At the ag e of 6 years he had a severe blunt spinal injury with transient parapa resis. MRI revealed right lateral and ventral displacement of the spin al cord at the T5/6 level. The spinal cord was surgically exposed and found to herniate through a ventral defect of the arachnoid membrane a nd the dura mater. As there were no other events that could have preci pitated spinal cord herniation the reported blunt trauma in child hood is the most likely cause for the spinal cord herniation in this patie nt.