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Posterior longitudinal ligament calcification of the cervical spine

Department of Radiodiagnosis, Bristol and Weston Health District (Teaching), Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol BS2 8HW

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract.

Calcification of the posterior longitudinal ligamentin the cervical canal is an apparently rare phenomenonand amongst the reported cases is an almostexclusively Japanese disease. No case has previouslybeen reported from the United Kingdom. Theprincipal clinical and radiological features are reviewed.The value of computerized tomography inthe diagnosis is illustrated.

A Caucasian male, aged 58, presented with a two-yearhistory of pain in the neck radiating down the outer aspectof both arms to the finger tips. There was numbness in thehands preventing the patient from performing some manualtasks and, in particular, interfering with his favouritepastime, fishing. Pain was accentuated by rotatory movementsof the cervical spine. There was no relevant family or pastmedical history. In particular there was no history ofprevious neck trauma.

On examination there was total absence of the upper limbreflexes but no other neurological abnormality. All othersystems were normal.

Received for publication February 1, 1979. Revision received May 1, 1979.