SPINAL CORD INJURY
DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSIS
Prepared by: Manalang, Al Victoria R.
BSPT III-1
Non-traumatic
Motor Neuron Disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Spondylotic Myelopathies
Spondylosis
Spondylolisthesis
Spinal Stenosis
Infectious & Inflammatory Diseases
Multiple Sclerosis
Neoplastic Diseases
1. Intradural Intramedullary
Ependynoma
2. Intradural Extramedullary
Meningioma
3. Extradural
Neuroblastoma
Congenital/Developmental Disorder
Spina Bifida
Disease Signs & Symptoms
SPINAL CORD INJURY •Areflexia, Motor & Sensory
Impairments, Spasticity, Bladder &
Bowel Dysfunction, Sexual
Dysfunction
AMYOTROPHIC •Painless weakness in hand, foot, arm
& leg
LATERAL SCLEROSIS •Speech, swallowing, walking
difficulty
•Atrophy & Fasciculations
•Depressed mm stretch reflexes
•Muscle cramping
SPINAL MUSCULAR •Muscle weakness, poor mm tone,
weak cry, limpness or tendency to
ATROPHY flop, difficulty sucking/swallowing
SPONDYLOSIS •Back pain
•Sphincter & Bowel Dysfunction
SPONDYLO •Tingling & Numbness
•Slipping sensation when moving
LISTHESIS into an upright position
(SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA)
•Dimple, depression, birthmark,
SPINA BIFIDA hairy patch over the affected part
(SPINA BIFIDA MANIFESTA)
•Swelling over the affected spine/
exposed spinal nerves @ the back
SPINAL STENOSIS •Numbness & Weakness
•Cramping or pain in legs, feet or
buttocks
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS •Weakness, paresthesia, gait
difficulty, optic neuritis, diplopia,
ataxia, disturbed nutrition, vertigo
•Frequent headaches
•Seizures
EPENDYNOMA •Frequent nausea & vomitting
•Loss of balance/trouble walking
•Seizures
•Headaches that worsen with time
MENINGIOMA •Memory loss
•Changes in vision, such as seeing
double or blurriness
•Hearing loss
•Weakness in your arms/legs
•Lump in the abdomen, neck or
chest
•Bulging eyes
•Dark circles around the eyes
(“black eyes”)
NEUROBLASTOMA •Bone pain
•Swollen stomach & trouble
breathing in infants
•Painless, bluish lumps under the
skin in infants
•Weakness or paralysis (loss of
ability to move a body part)
DISEASE CAUSE AFFECTATION
SPINAL CORD Sudden severe blow to
the spine. (Car accident, Spinal Cord
INJURY fall, gunshot, or sporting
accident. Sometimes the
SC is damaged by
infection/spinal stenosis
AMYOROPHIC Mutation of a specific Both upper and lower
gene, the SOD1 gene. motor neuron that causes
LATERAL degeneration of
SCLEROSIS throughout the brain &
SC.
SPINAL Loss of the SMN1 Only a portion of one
gene from chromosome limb such as forearm &
MUSCULAR 5 hand, shoulder or thigh
ATROPHY
SPONDYLOSIS Stress fracture of the (Spondylolisthesis)
bone. I. Dysplastic- inf. L5
& SPONDYLO (Spondylosis) facet
LISTHESIS degenerative changes in II. Isthmic- L5- S1
the IV disks & vertebral III. Degenerative- L4-
bodies 5 followed by L3-4
(Spondyloisthesis) IV. Traumatic- facet
Defect in the pars joints, lamina, pedicles
articularis- “sliding off V. Pathogenic
of vertebra”)
SPINAL due to the natural Legs
process of spinal
STENOSIS degeneration that occurs
with aging, caused by
spinal disc herniation,
osteoporosis or a tumor.
MULTIPLE Immune system Nerve cells in the
attacks the central brain and in the spinal
SCLEROSIS nervous system leading cord
to demyelination
Malignant cells form 4th ventricle and
in the tissues of the brain septum pellucidum in
EPENDYNOMA and spinal cord the spinal cord
meningiomas are Arachnoidal cells
inactivation mutations in
MENINGIOMA the neurofibromatosis 2
gene ; radiation
NEURO Malignant cells form Abdomen, chest,
in the nerve tissue of the spinal cord, neck, head,
BLASTOMA adrenal gland, neck, Hip and legs
chest or spinal cord
Occurs when the Neural tube
tissue surrounding the
SPINA BIFIDA developing spinal cord
of a fetus doesn’t close
properly
