脊髄症状を呈した頸椎後縦靱帯肥厚症の1例

Myelopathy Caused by Hypertrophy of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament (HPLL): Case report

I．はじめに

　頸椎後縦靱帯骨化症については多くの報告をみるが，後縦靱帯肥厚症の報告は極めて少ない．われわれは，著明な後縦靱帯肥厚により脊髄症状を呈し，組織学的にも骨化所見を全く認めなかった頸椎後縦靱帯肥厚症（以下HPLL）の1例を経験したので報告する．

A case of myelopathy caused by hypertrophy of the posterior longitudinal ligament at the cervical spine is reported. A 71-year-old man was hospitalized with myelopathy with progressed during the last two months.

Plain X-ray of the cervical spine revealed only mild spondylotic change.

Myelography demonstrated completely blocked con-trast medium at C₄ to C₅ vertebral height due to epidu-ral mass. This epidural mass was localized ventral to the spinal cord from C₃ to C₅.

CT scan revealed slightly high density area behind the vertebral body.