Cordectomy - A Treatment of Last Resort in Post- Traumatic Ascending Syringomyelia in a Completely Paraplegic Patient

Nyararai Togarepi1,2*, Hugh P Sims-Williams2, Patricia de Lacy2, Debapriya Bhattakarya2 and Marcel Ivanov2

1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Harare Central Hospital,
Zimbabwe
2Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield, UK

^*Correspondance to: Nyararai Togarepi 

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Abstract:

Post-traumatic progressive syringomyelia is a recognized complication of Spinal Cord Injury
(SCI). In the cervical spine this can be life-threatening. Surgical options include decompression,
adhesionolysis, shunting, myelotomy or rarely spinal cord transection or cordectomy. Treating the
primary cause of CSF flow disruption is preferable and can lead to complete syrinx resolution. We
describe performing a spinal cord transection in a 33-year-old patient with complete paraplegia.
He developed a progressively symptomatic syrinx two years after traumatic SCI. Clinical and
radiological resolution was achieved within one year of cordectomy. We advocate spinal cord
transection or cordectomy in select cases with complete cord injury where tethering is disrupting
CSF flow and causing ascending signs in particular bulbar symptoms.

Keywords:

Spinal cord transection; Cordectomy; Post traumatic syringomyelia; Complete paraplegia; Ethical dilemma

Cite the Article:

Togarepi N, Sims-Williams HP, de Lacy P, Bhattakarya D, Ivanov M. Cordectomy - A Treatment of Last Resort in Post-Traumatic Ascending Syringomyelia in a Completely Paraplegic Patient. World J Surg Surgical Res. 2021; 4: 1294..