ADNAN YALÇIN DEMİRCİ, KAZIM YİĞİTKANLI
Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica - 2023;57(2):85-88
Cervical myelopathy is a condition that is rarely reported in pediatric patients who have movement or neuromuscular disorders. We, herein, present a rare case of cervical myelopathy observed in a 14-year-old patient, who was previously a healthy boy treated with cervical laminoplasty, which was caused by cervical spinal canal stenosis based on multiple level disc herniation. The patient presented to the clinic with spastic and ataxic gait with previous diagnostic challenges. Magnetic resonance imaging showed cervical degenerative changes mainly marked at the C3C4 and C4C5 levels, along with canal narrowing and a central high signal cord abnormality on T2-weighted images. A C3C4 open-door laminoplasty surgery technique was performed. The neurological symptoms and signs improved dramatically following surgery. Subsequently, cervical computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed good decompression of the cervical spinal cord during the 5 years of follow-up with the preservation of the range of movement. We concluded that though it is pretty rare, cervical myelopathy should be considered in diagnosing adolescent patients with gait and balance disorders.
