Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41030395›Full record

ArticleSurgical neurology international2025

Tethered cervical cord syndrome: A rare entity - a case report and literature review.

Manahil Irfan, Saira Samnani, Fatima Mubarak

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical neurology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Manahil IrfanDepartment of Medicine, Medical College, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Saira SamnaniDepartment of Radiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Fatima MubarakDepartment of Radiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Tethered cord syndrome typically occurs in the lumbosacral spine, with rare instances of cervical cord tethering. This case presents the first documented adult female with cervical cord tethering and a dermal sinus tract in Pakistan, an uncommon congenital anomaly typically identified in infancy. Case Description: A 32-year-old female with a history of spina bifida cystica presented with upper back pain, neck pain, and hand paresthesia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed tethering at the cervical spine, with a dermal sinus tract and dorsal meningocele. The patient underwent surgical detethering and excision of the dermal sinus tract under general anesthesia, and postoperative follow-up was conducted to assess neurological recovery. MRI confirmed cervical cord tethering, with associated abnormalities including a dermal sinus tract extending from C1 to D7, and focal syrinx formation. The patient's symptoms improved postsurgery, with no new neurological deficits observed. Conclusion: Cervical tethered cord with a dermal sinus tract is an exceedingly rare condition, particularly in adults. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention can lead to significant improvement, even in the absence of motor deficits. This case highlights the importance of timely management, even in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic presentations, to prevent long-term neurological damage. Given the prevalence of spinal dysraphisms in South Asia, including Pakistan, raising awareness about congenital spinal anomalies is essential for early detection and intervention.

Indexed as

Congenital cervical cord syndromeDermal sinus tractSpina bifida cysticaSpinal dysraphismsTethered cord syndrome

Identifiers

PMID41030395
PMCPMC12477951

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.