Özkan ÖZMUK, Ali KILIÇ, Mehlika Berra ÖZBERK PAMUK, Hasan DOĞAN, Çetin Kürşad AKPINAR
Turkish Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases - 2026;32(2):145-148
Fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCe) is a rare and highly morbid cause of spinal cord infarction. Diagnosis can be difficult in the absence of predisposing factors. Treatment is controversial. The probable mechanism is retrograde embolism of nucleus pulposus material into the arterial system of the spinal cord. A previously healthy 70-year-old male patient presented to our emergency department with neck and back pain that started 24 hours after carrying firewood, followed by sudden quadriparesis. The patient's clinical findings and neuroimaging results were consistent with spinal cord ischemia secondary to acute vertebral disc herniation at the C4-5 level (extending between C5-8). Laboratory investigations revealed no evidence of infectious, autoimmune, inflammatory, or neoplastic causes. After ruling out other possible diagnoses, he was diagnosed with spinal cord ischemia secondary to fibrocartilaginous embolism. We wanted to present this rare phenomenon, which often goes undiagnosed unless it's considered.
