脳神経内科医による頸椎症診療

Management of Cervical Spondylosis by Neurologists

脳神経内科医は頸椎症の診療をすべきである。頸椎症は50歳以上では高頻度の神経疾患であり，症候と画像所見とを対比して，それが責任病変であるかどうかを検討する。頸椎症は，脳血管障害，筋萎縮性側索硬化症，末梢神経障害，脊髄サルコイドーシスなどの多くの神経疾患との鑑別診断が必要である。頸椎症患者の経過や予後はさまざまであるが，多くの患者は比較的良好な経過をたどる。

Abstract

Neurologists have to manage patients with cervical spondylosis, a common neurological disease in individuals over the age of 50 years. The diagnosis of cervical spondylosis requires a detailed neurological examination that takes into account cervical levels. To prevent misdiagnosis, it is important to integrate the levels of the lesions revealed by imaging with the clinical findings. Differential diagnoses for cervical spondylosis include a member of neurological diseases, including but not limited to cerebrovascular disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, peripheral nerve disease, and spinal cord sarcoidosis. Though the course of the disease and the ultimate prognosis for patients with cervical spondylosis are highly variable, many patients experience a relatively benign form of the disease.