Spinal cord stroke in a ballet dancer.

Fibrocartilaginous embolism of the intervertebral disc represents an uncommon cause of spinal cord infarction. We present the case of a previously healthy 30-year old ballet dancer who noted acute severe neck pain shortly after an intensive training session and developed weakness and numbness of both arms, as well as difficulties in emptying the bladder and bowel. Her clinical presentation and neuroimaging studies including diffusion weighted imaging were consistent with a spinal cord infarction in the anterior spinal territory at the C3-C6 spinal cord level. Although no histological confirmation was obtained, lack of evidence of other plausible diagnoses in the setting of the patient's clinical presentation and neuroimaging findings made fibrocartilaginous embolism the most likely etiopathogenetic mechanism of spinal stroke.