Successful management of spinal cord ischemia in a pediatric patient with fibrocartilaginous embolism: illustrative case.

Background: Fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) is a rare cause of ischemic myelopathy that occurs when the material of the nucleus pulposus migrates into vessels supplying the spinal cord. The authors presented a case of pediatric FCE that was successfully managed by adapting evidence-based recommendations used for spinal cord neuroprotection in aortic surgery.

Observations: A 7-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with acute quadriplegia and hemodynamic instability that quickly progressed to cardiac arrest.