Posterior cord syndrome (PCS) refers to a group of symptoms caused by an incomplete spinal cord injury that affects the dorsal columns, the corticospinal tracts Corticospinal Tracts Central Cord Syndrome ( CSTs CSTs Central Cord Syndrome), and descending autonomic tracts to the bladder Bladder A musculomembranous sac along the urinary tract. Urine flows from the kidneys into the bladder via the ureters, and is held there until urination. Pyelonephritis and Perinephric Abscess. Posterior cord syndrome is rare but has a diverse range of etiologies, including demyelinating disorders, degenerative spinal conditions, neoplasms Neoplasms New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms. Benign Bone Tumors, vascular abnormalities, and hereditary neurodegenerative disorders. Clinical symptoms include gait Gait Manner or style of walking. Neurological Examination ataxia Ataxia Impairment of the ability to perform smoothly coordinated voluntary movements. This condition may affect the limbs, trunk, eyes, pharynx, larynx, and other structures. Ataxia may result from impaired sensory or motor function. Sensory ataxia may result from posterior column injury or peripheral nerve diseases. Motor ataxia may be associated with cerebellar diseases; cerebral cortex diseases; thalamic diseases; basal ganglia diseases; injury to the red nucleus; and other conditions. Ataxia-telangiectasia, paresthesias with loss of position and vibration Vibration A continuing periodic change in displacement with respect to a fixed reference. Neurological Examination sense, and urinary incontinence Urinary incontinence Urinary incontinence (UI) is involuntary loss of bladder control or unintentional voiding, which represents a hygienic or social problem to the patient. Urinary incontinence is a symptom, a sign, and a disorder. The 5 types of UI include stress, urge, mixed, overflow, and functional. Urinary Incontinence. The diagnosis is made clinically and with neuroimaging Neuroimaging Non-invasive methods of visualizing the central nervous system, especially the brain, by various imaging modalities. Febrile Infant. Management addresses treatment of the underlying cause.
Last updated: 20 Jun, 2022
PosteriorPosterior cord syndrome refers to a group of symptoms caused by an incomplete spinal cord Spinal cord The spinal cord is the major conduction pathway connecting the brain to the body; it is part of the CNS. In cross section, the spinal cord is divided into an H-shaped area of gray matter (consisting of synapsing neuronal cell bodies) and a surrounding area of white matter (consisting of ascending and descending tracts of myelinated axons). Spinal Cord: Anatomy injury that affects the dorsal columns, the corticospinal tracts Corticospinal Tracts Central Cord Syndrome ( CSTs CSTs Central Cord Syndrome), and descending autonomic tracts to the bladder Bladder A musculomembranous sac along the urinary tract. Urine flows from the kidneys into the bladder via the ureters, and is held there until urination. Pyelonephritis and Perinephric Abscess.
Understanding Understanding Decision-making Capacity and Legal Competence the structures affected by a posterior cord lesion is essential to their correlation Correlation Determination of whether or not two variables are correlated. This means to study whether an increase or decrease in one variable corresponds to an increase or decrease in the other variable. Causality, Validity, and Reliability with clinical signs and symptoms. Diagnosis of PCS is by clinical exam and diagnostic imaging.
Axial
Axial
Computed Tomography (CT) (A) and
sagittal
Sagittal
Computed Tomography (CT) (B) MRIs of a patient with posterior cord syndrome due to
breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is a disease characterized by malignant transformation of the epithelial cells of the breast. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and 2nd most common cause of cancer-related death among women.
Breast Cancer
metastasis
Metastasis
The transfer of a neoplasm from one organ or part of the body to another remote from the primary site.
Grading, Staging, and Metastasis to the
spine
Spine
The human spine, or vertebral column, is the most important anatomical and functional axis of the human body. It consists of 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, and 5 lumbar vertebrae and is limited cranially by the skull and caudally by the sacrum.
Vertebral Column: Anatomy:
The arrows and arrowheads show a bony lesion emerging from the
spine
Spine
The human spine, or vertebral column, is the most important anatomical and functional axis of the human body. It consists of 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, and 5 lumbar vertebrae and is limited cranially by the skull and caudally by the sacrum.
Vertebral Column: Anatomy and compressing the posterior aspect of the
spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is the major conduction pathway connecting the brain to the body; it is part of the CNS. In cross section, the spinal cord is divided into an H-shaped area of gray matter (consisting of synapsing neuronal cell bodies) and a surrounding area of white matter (consisting of ascending and descending tracts of myelinated axons).
Spinal Cord: Anatomy.