We report a case of 54-yr-old woman who presented with 4-extremities weakness and sensory changes, followed by cervical spinal cord lesion in magnetic resonance imaging. Based on the suspicion of spinal tumor, spinal cord biopsy was performed, and the histology revealed multinucleated giant cells, lymphocytes and aggregated histiocytes within granulomatous inflammation, consistent with non-caseating granuloma seen in sarcoidosis. The patient was treated with corticosteroid, immunosuppressant and thalidomide for years. Our case indicates that diagnosis of spinal cord sarcoidosis is challenging and may require histological examination, and high-dose corticosteroid and immunosuppressant will be a good choice in the treatment of spinal cord sarcoidosis, and the thalidomide has to be debated in the spinal cord sarcoidosis.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use ; Biopsy ; Central Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/*therapeutic use ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Sarcoidosis/drug therapy/pathology ; Spinal Cord/*pathology ; Spinal Cord Diseases/drug therapy/*pathology ; Thalidomide/*therapeutic use

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) can be defined as an ectopic ossification in the tissues of spinal ligament showing a hyperostotic condition. OPLL is developed mostly in the cervical spine and clinical presentations of OPLL are majorly myelopathy and/or radiculopathy, with serious neurological pathology resulting in paralysis of extremities and disturbances of motility lowering the quality of life. OPLL is known to be an idiopathic and multifactorial disease, which genetic factors and non-genetic factors including diet, obesity, physical strain on the posterior longitudinal ligament, age, and diabetes mellitus, are involved into the pathogenesis. Up to now, surgical management by decompressing the spinal cord is regarded as standard treatment for OPLL, although there might be the risk of development of reprogression of ossification. The molecular pathogenesis and efficient therapeutic strategy, especially pharmacotherapy and/or preventive intervention, of OPLL has not been clearly elucidated and suggested. Therefore, in this review, we tried to give an overview to the present research results on OPLL, in order to shed light on the potential pharmacotherapy based on molecular pathophysiologic aspect of OPLL, especially on the genetic/genomic factors involved into the etiology of OPLL.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Drug Therapy ; Extremities ; Ligaments ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Obesity ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Paralysis ; Pathology ; Quality of Life ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spine

A non-ambulatory dog with tetraparesis following a pain episode that had evolved over 2 months was submitted for medical treatment and diagnosed with intervertebral disk disease at C3-C4 and dorsal extradural compression at C1-C2 and C3-C4 using myelography and computed tomography. The dog experienced ambulation recovery after 15 days of treatment with only electroacupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, with marked improvement occurring after only 10 treatments. Six months of followup demonstrated that the dog was stable and had no recurrence of symptoms. Therefore, it was concluded that the combination of electroacupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine was responsible for motor rehabilitation.
Animals ; Cervical Vertebrae/*pathology ; Dog Diseases/*drug therapy/*therapy ; Dogs ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/*therapeutic use ; Electroacupuncture/methods/*veterinary ; *Intervertebral Disk ; Myelography/veterinary ; Spinal Cord Compression/radiography/therapy/*veterinary ; Spinal Diseases/drug therapy/therapy/*veterinary ; Treatment Outcome