Abstract T P132: Risk Factors for Spinal Cord Infarct Compared to Those for Stroke and Transverse Myelitis

Abstract

Background: Although spinal cord infarction (SCI) is a rare form of CNS injury, the long-term disability can be substantial. There are limited epidemiological data on the incidence and risk factors of SCI and most prior data were based on small case series of surgical patients. Objectives: To evaluate risk factors for SCI in a contemporary population-based sample, and compare the profiles of those with SCI to those with ischemic stroke and transverse myelitis. Methods: Using California state data on all patients discharged from nonfederal emergency departments or acute care hospitals between 2005 and 2011, we identified all patients with a discharge diagnosis of SCI (ICD9 code = 336.1), ischemic stroke (433.x1, 434.x1, or 436) and transverse myelitis (341.2, 341.3, or 323.82). Age, sex, race, and vascular risk factors were compared among these diagnoses subsets using the Chi square test. Results: The annual incidence of SCI (7 per million) was significantly less than that of stroke (1136 per million). The age of patients with SCI (60.8±18.8) was less than that for patients with stroke (72 ±14.4) but more than that for transverse myelitis (50.6 ±18.5). In general, patients with SCI had vascular risk factors more often than transverse myelitis patients but less often than stroke patients, with the exception of peripheral vascular disease, aortic dissection or rupture, and aortic surgery_all of which were more prevalent among SCI patients than stroke patients. Conclusion: In a large population-based sample of patients, we found that traditional vascular risk were less common with SCI than with ischemic stroke, while peripheral vascular disease and aortic disease or surgeries were more common.