Spinal Cord Herniation After Cervical Corpectomy with Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Spinal cord herniation (SCH) is rare, is mostly idiopathic, and occurs predominantly in the thoracic spine. SCH is less common in the cervical spine and has been reported after posterior cervical spine surgery associated with the development of pseudomeningoceles. Two cases of SCH have been reported after anterior cervical corpectomies for ossified posterior longitudinal ligament with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks. We report the third such case, but the first in a patient without ossified posterior longitudinal ligament (degenerative disc disease and pseudarthrosis).

Case description: A 56-year-old woman presented with bilateral arm pain and weakness. She had undergone 3 previous anterior cervical spine surgeries at an outside medical center with the most recent 7 years ago with C5 and C6 corpectomies and fusion with a persistent CSF leak. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography myelography showed spinal cord herniation through the mesh cage at C6. The patient underwent a redo C5 and C6 corpectomy with untethering of the spinal cord. The patient was asymptomatic 2 years later.

Conclusions: This is the first reported case of anterior cervical SCH in a patient without ossified posterior longitudinal ligament after multiple anterior cervical fusions including a cervical corpectomy for pseudarthrosis with a CSF leak. We hypothesize that persistent CSF leak causes a pressure gradient across the dura mater through the cage to the lower pressure in the retropharyngeal space, which led to herniation of the spinal cord into the anterior cage. We review the literature and discuss the treatment choices for anterior cervical SCH.

Keywords: Anterior cervical discectomy; Cerebrospinal fluid leak; Corpectomy; Spinal cord herniation.