Spinal ischaemia after surgery for abdominal infrarenal aortic aneurysm. Diagnosis with nuclear magnetic resonance.

A 76-year-old man underwent surgery for an infrarenal aortic aneurysm reaching 6 cm in maximal transverse diameter. The aorta was crossclamped below the level of the renal arteries. A tube graft was interposed and tend between the infrarenal aorta and the aortic bifurcation. Due to leakage on the suture line two consecutive episodes of crossclamping for a total duration of 40 min. were required. No hypotension was noted during or after the procedure. After operation, the patient complained of difficulties to move both legs and neurologic examination demonstrated paraparesis, with mild sensory deficit. Faecal and urinary incontinences were also noted and urodynamic testing demonstrated sphincterovesical palsy. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging detected an ischaemic zone in the spinal cord at the level of T11. Faecal incontinence and motor deficit partially resolved but no bladder function recovery was observed. Spinal ischaemia is a rare complication after abdominal aortic surgery. Several risk factors have been suggested which include level and duration of the aortic crossclamping, possible interruption of the spinal cord blood supply via the greater medullary artery (the so-called artery of Adamkiewicz), presence of intra- or postoperative episodes of hypotension, atheromatous embolization, underlying occlusive arteriosclerosis of spinal arteries, and respect or not of the hypogastric circulation. In our case, the duration of the crossclamping and interruption of the blood flow in lumbar arteries probably supplying the distal spinal cord were likely contributive factors.