Acute myelopathy caused by fibrocartilaginous emboli

Abstract

Fibrocartilaginous embolism of the spinal cord has been reported in only 17 cases. We describe three new cases, all seen within a year, of infarction of the spinal cord by fibrocartilaginous emboli in the ramifications of the anterior spinal artery. These emboli probably originate from degenerated intervertebral disks, but full understanding of the pathogenesis is still lacking. The disease has been found more frequently in dogs. Because the pathologist is not likely to attempt to demonstrate the condition unless the clinician has proposed this diagnosis, the true frequency will be known only when the clinical picture is widely recognized.