Clearing the Dilemma of Myelopathy Caused by Degenerative Dorsal Disc Disease, Definition of the "spondylitic Spinovascular Disorders" as an Emerging New Concept

In the present study 11 surgically confirmed patients with the clinico-radiological diagnosis of degenerative dorsal disc herniation are included. All patient were subjected to (1) full clinical examination (2) study of some haemorheological parameters and vascular risk factors (3) plain x ray dorsal spine (4) Myelography with postmyelography CT scan of the dorsal spine (5) MRI examination of the dorso-lumbar spine. Both MRI and CT myelography were done according to the suspected clinical spinal levels of each patient. Standard T1,T2 and proton density weighted images were used in MRI examination. All patients were subjected to both MRI and CT myelography. The cardinal clinical signs and symptoms of dorsal disc herniations, in this study, were "a mainly motor presentation", the presence of remissions and exacerbations of myelopathy and the presence of two levels in every single patient ( one at the conus-epiconus and anther sensory level at D6-D7 spinal segments). History of spinal trauma was characteristically absent and dorsal pain was minor and present in only 4 cases (36%). A CLEARING THE DILEMMA OF MYELOPATHY CAUSED BY DEGENERATIVE DORSAL DISC DISEASE, DEFINITION OF THE "SPONDYLITIC SPINOVASCULAR DISORDERS" AS AN EMERGING NEW CONCEPT