Arterial supply of the cervical spinal cord (with special reference to the radicular arteries)

1971 ◽  
Vol 170 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binoy G. Chakravorty
Author(s):  
Margaret G. Norman

SUMMARY:A 6-year-old child with meningitis had a respiratory arrest 20 minutes after a lumbar puncture. Thereafter she required maintenance on a ventilator, had a flaccid quadriplegia, and died 12 days later. Necropsy showed infarction of the central portion of the cord at the level of the decussation of the pyramids. The suggested mechanism of damage is compression of the arterial supply to the cord at the level of the foramen magnum by herniated cerebellar tonsils; concomitant hypotension may have contributed to production of the damage. Four similar cases, who survived with residual deficit, have also been reported. Other separate mechanisms by which the cord can be damaged in meningitis are vasculitis, thrombosis and arachnoiditis.


Author(s):  
L. Vacca-Galloway ◽  
Y.Q. Zhang ◽  
P. Bose ◽  
S.H. Zhang

The Wobbler mouse (wr) has been studied as a model for inherited human motoneuron diseases (MNDs). Using behavioral tests for forelimb power, walking, climbing, and the “clasp-like reflex” response, the progress of the MND can be categorized into early (Stage 1, age 21 days) and late (Stage 4, age 3 months) stages. Age-and sex-matched normal phenotype littermates (NFR/wr) were used as controls (Stage 0), as well as mice from two related wild-type mouse strains: NFR/N and a C57BI/6N. Using behavioral tests, we also detected pre-symptomatic Wobblers at postnatal ages 7 and 14 days. The mice were anesthetized and perfusion-fixed for immunocytochemical (ICC) of CGRP and ChAT in the spinal cord (C3 to C5).Using computerized morphomety (Vidas, Zeiss), the numbers of IR-CGRP labelled motoneurons were significantly lower in 14 day old Wobbler specimens compared with the controls (Fig. 1). The same trend was observed at 21 days (Stage 1) and 3 months (Stage 4). The IR-CGRP-containing motoneurons in the Wobbler specimens declined progressively with age.


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