A rare presentation of anterior cord syndrome due to thoracic spinal arachnoid cyst: a case report

Abstract

Despite the typically benign nature of spinal arachnoid cysts, they can lead to neurological symptoms by causing compressive myelopathy [Ajoku U, et al. J Surg Case Rep. 2023;2023(9):rjad514. Published 2023 Sep 18.]. Spinal cord infarction is a rare disease that can affect the anterior spinal artery (ASA) and posterior spinal artery [Yadav N, Pendharkar H, Kulkarni GB. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2018;27(10):2810–2821], typically manifests as sudden bilateral loss of strength and paraplegia, sudden back pain, and loss of reflexes and pain while preserving proprioception and vibration sense [Millichap JJ, Sy BT, Leacock RO. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22(1):151–154 ]. In this unique case, the spinal cord is displaced forward due to compression from the posterior spinal arachnoid cyst. We underscore the rarity of compressive cord ischemia, where the spinal cord becomes trapped between the cyst and the vertebral bone, a phenomenon that is not commonly encountered.