Foix-Alajouanine syndrome
Encyclopedia
Foix-Alajouanine syndrome is a disorder
caused by an arteriovenous malformation
of the spinal cord
. The patients present with symptoms indicating spinal cord involvement (paralysis
of arms and legs, numbness and loss of sensation and sphincter
dysfunction), and pathological examination
reveals disseminated nerve cell death in the spinal cord and abnormally dilated and tortuous vessels situated on the surface of the spinal cord. Surgical treatment can be tried in some cases. If surgical intervention is contraindicated, corticosteroid
s may be used.
The condition is named after Charles Foix
and Théophile Alajouanine
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
caused by an arteriovenous malformation
Arteriovenous malformation
Arteriovenous malformation or AVM is an abnormal connection between veins and arteries, usually congenital. This pathology is widely known because of its occurrence in the central nervous system, but can appear in any location. An arteriovenous malformation is a vascular anomaly. It is a...
of the spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
. The patients present with symptoms indicating spinal cord involvement (paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
of arms and legs, numbness and loss of sensation and sphincter
Sphincter
A sphincter is an anatomical structure, or a circular muscle, that normally maintains constriction of a natural body passage or orifice and which relaxes as required by normal physiological functioning...
dysfunction), and pathological examination
Anatomical pathology
Anatomical pathology or Anatomic pathology is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross, microscopic, chemical, immunologic and molecular examination of organs, tissues, and whole bodies...
reveals disseminated nerve cell death in the spinal cord and abnormally dilated and tortuous vessels situated on the surface of the spinal cord. Surgical treatment can be tried in some cases. If surgical intervention is contraindicated, corticosteroid
Corticosteroid
Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex. Corticosteroids are involved in a wide range of physiologic systems such as stress response, immune response and regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte...
s may be used.
The condition is named after Charles Foix
Charles Foix
Charles Foix was a French internist and neurologist.Charles Foix was born in Salies-de-Béarn, Pyrénées-Atlantiques. He studied medicine at the University of Paris and was a pupil of Pierre Marie at the Salpêtrière Hospital...
and Théophile Alajouanine
Théophile Alajouanine
Théophile Alajouanine was a French neurologist.Théophile Alajouanine was a student of Joseph Jules Dejerine and a colleague to Georges Guillain and Charles Foix...