Expert’s comment concerning Grand Rounds case entitled “Management of cervical myelopathy due to ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament in a patient with Alström syndrome” (by Bronek M. Boszczyk, Rishi Mugesh Kanna and Daniela Gradil)

Excerpt

The authors present an extremely rare case of Alström Syndrome who developed an extensive and serious ossification of spinal ligament [1]. Extensive ossification of both anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments from C1 to T1 was observed with an occupying ratio more than 50 %, and combined with large osteophytes in front of vertebral bodies and ossification of ligament flavum from T1–3. Combined morbidity included sight and hearing loss, hepatic and renal dysfunction, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and polyarthritis. Progressive numbness in the finger tips was the chief complaint and further examination discovered weak hand grip and sensory loss below C5 dermatome, and positive myelopathic signs related to the spinal cord lesion. Posterior laminectomy from C3–6 without instrumentation was performed by the authors. Improved hand function and gait were observed after operation. Postoperative MRI demonstrated an excellent decompression of spinal cord. …