Girdle Sensation

Girdle Sensation

Compressive lower cervical or upper thoracic myelopathy may produce spastic paraparesis with a false-localizing mid-thoracic sensory level or "girdle sensation" (cf. cuirasse). The pathophysiology is uncertain, but ischemia of the thoracic watershed zone of the anterior spinal artery from compression at the cervical level has been suggested.

References

Ochiai H, Yamakawa Y, Minato S, Nakahara K, Nakano S, Wakisaka S. Clinical features of the localized girdle sensation of mid-trunk (false localizing sign) appeared [sic] in cervical compressive myelopathy patients. Journal of Neurology 2002; 249: 549-553

Cross References

"false-localizing signs"; Paraparesis; Suspended sensory loss