cervical spondylotic myelopathy; cervical spondylomyelopathy

Etiology

• cervical spondylosis

Epidemiology

• most common cause of myelopathy in adults

Clinical manifestations

• patients present with signs & symptoms of cervical spinal cord dysfunction with or without cervical radiculopathy
• pain in the neck &/or upper limbs may occur
• gait ataxia
• hand dysfunction: diminished dexterity
• parethesias in upper extremity
• weakness in hands & legs
• hyperreflexia, clonus,positive Babinski & Hoffmann signs
• bowel & bladder dysfunction

Radiology

• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine
  • spinal cord compression

Management

• surgical decompression improves neurologic function in some patients & prevents worsening in others

More general terms

• cervical myelopathy
• spondylosis