Acute Spinal Cord Compression

Compression of the spinal cord can result from trauma, cancer, epidural abscess, or epidural hematoma and can have a variety of clinical manifestations based on the anatomical level and completeness of the compression. Treatment approaches are outlined. Acute compression of the spinal cord is a devastating but treatable disorder. Diseases that cause acute spinal cord compression constitute a special category because they originate in the spinal column and narrow the spinal canal. This review addresses the disorders that account for most instances of acute spinal cord compression: trauma, tumor, epidural abscess, and epidural hematoma. The pathophysiological features and management of these disorders are similar to those of other acute and serious spinal conditions. The medical context of spinal cord compression determines the diagnosis and directs treatment. Traumatic cord compression is often self-evident. Cord compression in patients with . . .