Thoracic spinal stenosis: diagnostic and treatment challenges

Thoracic stenosis may be defined by a narrowing of the anteroposterior (AP) diameter of the thoracic spinal canal to < 10 mm. Primary thoracic stenosis, documented when myelography is carried beyond the thoracolumbar junction into the upper thoracic canal, is most frequently associated with lumbar stenosis, whereas secondary stenosis, attributed to endocrinopathies and systemic diseases, more typically involves the entire spinal canal. Recognition of the presence of primary or secondary thoracic stenosis and the entire extent of attendant disease in the adjacent cervical or lumbar regions is essential to proper surgical management. Nine cases of primary and one instance of secondary thoracic spinal stenosis were reviewed. Seven of nine patients with primary thoracic stenosis had accompanying lumbar involvement, whereas one patient with secondary stenosis attributed to acromegaly had cervical, thoracic, and lumbar stenosis.