Foix–Alajouanine syndrome

Foix–Alajouanine syndrome
Other names	Familial osteosclerosis with abnormalities of the nervous system and meninges
T2 weighted MRI showing an arteriovenous malformation indicated by the cursor
Specialty	Neurology

Foix–Alajouanine syndrome, also called subacute ascending necrotizing myelitis,^[1] is a disease caused by an arteriovenous malformation of the spinal cord.^[2] In particular, most cases involve dural arteriovenous malformations that present in the lower thoracic or lumbar spinal cord. The condition is named after Charles Foix and Théophile Alajouanine who first described the condition in 1926.^[3][4]

Signs and symptoms

The patients can present with symptoms indicating spinal cord involvement such as (

Diagnosis

Clinically, the patient may present with neurological symptoms such as numbness, weakness, loss of reflexes, or even sudden or progressive paralysis.

Surgical treatment may be attempted with endovascular embolization or ligation of the arteriovenous malformation within the spinal cord.Corticosteroids may be used acutely to help slow the progression of symptoms or they may be used chronically in a poor surgical candidate.^[7] In either case, physical therapy will be an important part of the recovery process in helping the patient regain strength and coordination.

See also

• Vascular myelopathy

References