The daily educational pearl – Central cord syndrome

Central cord syndrome

– usually occurs in the cervical cord, and the upper limbs are weaker than the lower limbs

– dissociated sensory loss, with loss of  pain and temperature and preservation of other modalities

Causes:

trauma – especially hyperextension of the neck in the elderly and in children

syringomelia

intramedullary haemorrhage

intramedullary space-occupying lesions