Cervical Radiculopathy Focus on Characteristics and Differential Diagnosis

Autor: Kyung-Chung Kang, Hee Sung Lee, Jung-Hee Lee
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Asian Spine Journal, Vol 14, Iss 6, Pp 921-930 (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1976-1902
1976-7846
DOI: 10.31616/asj.2020.0647
Popis: Cervical radiculopathy is characterized by neurological dysfunction caused by compression and inflammation of the spinal nerves or nerve roots of the cervical spine. It mainly presents with neck and arm pain, sensory loss, motor dysfunction, and reflex changes according to the dermatomal distribution. The most common causes of cervical radiculopathy are cervical disc herniation and cervical spondylosis. It is important to find the exact symptomatic segment and distinguish between conditions that may mimic certain cervical radicular compression syndromes through meticulous physical examinations and precise reading of radiographs. Non-surgical treatments are recommended as an initial management. Surgery is applicable to patients with intractable or persistent pain despite sufficient conservative management or with severe or progressive neurological deficits. Cervical radiculopathy is treated surgically by anterior and/or posterior approaches. The appropriate choice of surgical treatment should be individualized, considering the patient’s main pathophysiology, specific clinical symptoms and radiographic findings thoroughly.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals