Spinal Cord Series and Cases, 2018 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41394-018-0050-2 · Published: February 5, 2018
SCIWORA, or spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality, is when someone has damage to their spinal cord, but it doesn't show up on regular X-rays or CT scans. This is a case of an 85-year-old man who had SCIWORA after a fall. He also had urinary incontinence. The doctors found that his other health problems, like diabetes and past cancer treatments, made his condition more complicated and affected his recovery.
Clinicians should carefully assess comorbidities in geriatric SCIWORA patients, as these significantly affect prognosis and treatment strategies.
Urinary incontinence in SCIWORA patients should be recognized and addressed as a potentially crucial factor in their overall prognosis.
Additional studies are necessary to better understand SCIWORA in the geriatric population, considering the differences in injury mechanisms and pre-existing conditions.