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Cervical spondylotic myelopathy in athetoid cerebral palsy patients: about five cases.

Duruflé A, Pétrilli S, Le Guiet JL, Brassier G, Nicolas B, Le Tallec H, Gallien P

Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, University Hospital of Rennes, CHRU Pontchaillou, 2, rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033 Rennes cedex, France.

We herein report five cases of cerebral palsy athetosic patients with spondyloid cervical myelopathy. Four of them underwent decompressive surgery. The level of cervicarthrosis differs from a control population with a more frequent osteoarthritis on the lower cervical spine. The diagnosis of spondylotic cervical myelopathy is frequently overlooked because of the insidious progression of neurologic disorders and of the pre-existent neurological handicap. Depressive syndrome is often evoked in such a situation, and thus responsible for a delay of diagnosis. The presence of an hypersignal in T2 MRI sequences is still controversial. For some authors it is an indication for surgery, which is the treatment with the best functional results. CONCLUSION: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy must be evoked in patients with athetoid cerebral palsy who complain about a decrease of their functional ability.

Published 26 April 2005 in Joint Bone Spine, 72(3): 270-4.
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