Paraplegia has a host of causes, ranging from the local to the cerebral. The severity and location of the damage to the nervous system determines the extent of the. Paraplegia is the result of an injury to the spine at the level of the thoracic or lumbar vertebra. As a result of the injury, the functions performed by the spinal cord are interrupted at the distal level of the injury. Most people with paraplegia have perfectly healthy legs. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Spinal cord trauma in children is uncommon relative to the incidence in teenagers and adults. Minear is chairman, nomenclature and classification committee, american academy for cere bra. Early in the disease course, there may be mild gait difficulties and stiffness. Diagnosis and evaluation of acute paraplegia american. She was born in india and moved to the uk at one year of age. Because the medical literature on hereditary spastic paraplegia hsp is dominated by descriptions of adult case series, there is less emphasis on the genetic evaluation in suspected pediatric cases of hsp. Persons who have been paralyzed as a result of a spinal cord injury are the subjects. Acute paraplegia weakness or paralysis in the legs is a particular emergency because.
Extradural tumours in children presenting as paraplegia pages with reference to book, from 218 to 220 shahina qureshi, naheed qadeer, sahib zaman department of paediatrics, childrens hospital, islamabad. This item appears in the following collections faculty of medical sciences 68895. Mild weakness may progress to complete paraplegia within hours or days. It is like a system of telephone wires which conduct messages from the brain, through the nerves, to all parts of the body. Adult case series dominate the literature, and there have been only a few studies in children. Paralysis means that the muscles in the legs, stomach, back, and possibly also the chest, no longer function. Paraplegia spastic flaccid paraplegia in extension paraplegia in flexion 4. Traumatic paraplegia in children is uncommon and, in almost half of these injuries, no contiguous fracture or. Because most affected children are infants, the first symptom is usually refusal to stand or walk. Paraplegia symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and causes. Clinical and genetic findings in a series of italian children with pure hereditary spastic paraplegia.
Hereditary spastic paraplegia hsp refers to a group of familial diseases that are characterized by progressive degeneration of the corticospinal tracts. Hereditary spastic paraplegia hsp is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders mainly characterized by progressive spasticity of the lower limbs. The purpose of this study is to describe our experience with pediatric hsp in greece. Upper motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord deliver signals to the lower motor neurons, which in turn, carry messages to the muscles. Initial care and future rehabilitation of the paraplegic child and. There are important differences in the manner of presentation of the acute spinal cord injury in children under the age of years, both in the pattern of vertebral injury and in neurologic characteristics. It can also occur in just one area, or it can be widespread. Important gene tests for hereditary spastic paraplegia. Hereditary spastic paraplegia hsp is a group of hereditary, degenerative, neurological disorders that primarily affect the upper motor neurons.
Paraplegia, sometimes called partial paralysis, is a form of paralysis in which function is substantially impeded from the waist down. The disease presents with progressive stiffness and contraction in the lower limbs. A previously healthy 12 year old girl presented to the emergency department with two days of bilateral leg pain and the inability to walk. A 14yearold high school student is admitted to the pediatric neurology service because of the. The first page of the pdf of this article appears below. Paraplegia in children with malignant teratoma, cancer. Hsp, also called familial spastic paraplegia, was initially referred to as strumpelllorrain disease, a name given for the. Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a general term for a group of rare inherited disorders that cause weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles.
Paralysis is a loss of muscle function in part of your body. With paraplegia, arm function is spared, but depending on. Spinal cord injury paraplegia better health channel. Children with these disorders may have developmental delays, moderate to severe intellectual disability, impaired or absent speech, small head size microcephaly, seizures, and progressive motor symptoms. Paraplegia is impairment in motor and or sensory functions of the lower extremities often including lower part of the trunk. The proposed classification has the approval of the american academy for cerebral palsy. Hereditary spastic paraplegia genetic and rare diseases. This usually occurs after an injury to the nervous system.
This retrospective study was carried out between january 1994 and august 2011 on children with delayed development, gait disorders and motor handicaps, with signs of symmetrical pyramidal tract involvement. Both paraplegia and quadriplegia are conditions which result from injury or trauma to the spinal cord. This we use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. Spinal cord injury in children and adolescents nature. A diagnostic journey compounding the challenge in management. Hemiplegia in infants and children is a type of cerebral palsy that results from damage to the part hemisphere of the brain that controls muscle movements. The term hemiplegia means that the paralysis is on one vertical half of the body. Most spinal cord injuries result in loss of sensation and function below the level of injury, including loss of controlled function of the bladder and bowel quadriplegia. Traumatic paraplegia in children without contiguous spinal. Clinical assessment showed a well child, with a nontender mid thoracic swelling of the spine, and. Hereditary spastic paraplegia h ereditary spastic paraplegia hsp is a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous conditions, with prevalence of 10 cases per 100,000 population. Paraplegia is the initial manifestation of neuroblastoma extending into the epidural space from a paravertebral origin. Visit our research pages for current research about paraplegia treatments clinical trials for paraplegia.
She had no history of trauma, back pain, weight loss, night sweats, cough, or fever. Paraplegia is the paralysis of the lower body, particularly the legs. The study was conducted with the aim of assessing the effects of paraplegia caused by spinal cord injuries on the quality of life of patients and their family economy. Instead, the problem resides in either the brain or the spinal cord, which cannot send or receive signals to the lower body due to an injury or disease. In childhood, the most common malignant tumors associated with this complication are neuroblastoma.
Most commonly, paraplegia is the result of accidents, which occur most often in. Paraplegia is a medical condition where a person experiences loss of movement andor loss of feeling in the body. Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. Rehabilitation of spinal cord injuries pubmed central pmc. The differential diagnosis of progressive spastic paraplegia strongly depends on the age at onset, as well as the accompanying clinical features, possible abnormalities on mri, and family. Aside from a kyphotic or lordotic deformity of the spine, the occurrence of scoliosis in paraplegic patients. Hereditary spastic paraplegia in children find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Permanent flaccid paraplegia in children with thoracic. When she had gotten up in the morning she was unable to stand. For most people with paraplegia, the legs and usually parts of the torso are paralyzed. Paraplegia can involve complete or partial paralysis of the legs andor the trunk.
Paraplegia refers to paralysis from approximately the waist down paraplegic facts and definition quadriplegia refers to paralysis from approximately the shoulders down. Hereditary spastic paraplegia hsp, also called familial spastic paraparesis fsp, refers to a group of inherited disorders that are characterized by progressive weakness and spasticity stiffness of the legs. Khaliquzzaman department of neurosurgery, pakistan institute of medical sciences, islamabad. Traumatic paraplegia in children is uncommon and, in almost half of these injuries, no contiguous fracture or dislocation of the spine is found. Paraplegic paraplegia definitions, causes, symptoms. Paraplegia in children with malignant teratoma paraplegia in children with malignant teratoma weinblatt, mark e kenigsberg, kenneth 19851015 00.
What is the difference between paraplegia and quadriplegia. The spinal cord runs through the centre of the bony spine. Ap4associated hereditary spastic paraplegia ap4hsp is a group of slowlyprogressing neurodegenerative disorders. Among 12 children with complete thoracic spinal cord injury four developed permanent flaccid paraplegia with areflexia and an autonomous bladder. The sudden onset of paraplegia in a child is usually asso ciated with traumatic spinal. The arm muscles are generally less affected or not affected at all. This damage may occur before, during or shortly after birth. Professor, departments of neurology and pediatrics, the johns hopkins university school of medicine, baltimore, md 21205 case report a 14yearold high school student is admitted to the pediatric neurology service because of the sudden onset of inability to use her legs. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The aim of the study was to explore the spectrum of hereditary spastic paraplegia hsp in children in oman. Typically caused by damage to the spinal cord, a traumatic injury or congenital condition may be to blame.
The lancet special articles paraplegia among children j. Hereditary spastic paraplegia information page national. It can affect any part of your body at any time in your life. Melzak national spinal injuries centre, stoke mandeville hospital, aylesbury, buckinghamshire, united kingdom since 1948, the national spinal injuries centre has admitted more and more civilians. Download fulltext pdf download fulltext pdf acute flaccid paraplegia.
Clinically, they present with lower limb spasticity and weakness. Hsp is also known as hereditary spastic paraparesis, familial spastic paraplegia, french settlement disease, strumpell disease, or strumpelllorrain disease. Paraplegia as a complication of malignant disease is rare in a paediatric practice. When she had gotten up in the morning she was unable. In most cases, paraplegia results from an injury to the vertebrae and spinal cord in the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine. Spastic diplegia cerebral palsy is a form of cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that usually appears in infancy or early childhood, and permanently affects muscle control and coordination. Clinical spectrum of hereditary spastic paraplegia in children.
Paraplegia in children pdf this is a pdf only article. Electronic publications 81094 freely accessible full text publications plus those not yet available due to embargo. Scoliotic growth in children with acquired paraplegia nature. Discussion definition etiology classification anatomy approach to patient clinical features examination investigations conditions aw paraplegia management complications 3. Affected people have increased muscle tone which leads to spasticity stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes in the legs. Hereditary spastic paraplegia hsp is a group of inherited diseases whose main feature is a progressive gait disorder. Spinal cord injury sci is the injury of the spinal cord from the foramen magnum to the cauda equina which occurs as a result of compulsion, incision or contusion. This term refers to impairment or loss of motor andor sensory function in the thoracic, lumbar or sacral but not cervical segments of the spinal cord, secondary to damage of neural elements within the spinal canal. A treatment plan and outlook for the condition will depend on the. Kannan post graduate pediatrics mgmcri discussion definition etiology. Clinical phenotype variability in patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia type 5 associated with cyp7b1 mutations. The key diagnostic clinical findings are of lower limb spasticity and pyramidal weakness, hyperreflexia and extensor plantar responses.
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