POSSIBLE IMPLICATION OF LEUKOCYTES IN SECONDARY PATHOLOGICAL-CHANGES AFTER SPINAL-CORD INJURY

We reviewed 95 consecutive patients with cervical spinal cord injury a dmitted within 2 days of injury and treated nonoperatively, to elucida te the relationship between neurological deterioration and the white b lood cell count in the first 4 days after injury. The count for 14 pat ients who had neurological deterioration was 13.2 +/- 3.2 x 10(9)/l, a nd that for 81 patients who had no deterioration was 11.0 +/- 3.1 x 10 (9)/l. None of 19 patients whose highest white blood cell count was le ss than 9 x 10(9)/l deteriorated while 14 of 76 patients whose count w as 9 x 10(9)/l or more deteriorated. These results suggest that the wh ite blood cell is important in the secondary pathological changes afte r mechanical injury to the spinal cord. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.