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Neurology India, Vol. 54, No. 4, October-December, 2006, pp. 448-450 Letter To Editor Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the thoracic spine in association with polycystic ovary syndrome Imamura Katsuyuki, Matsunaga Shunji, Nagata Masahito, Nakamura Kazushi, Yokouchi Masahiro, Yamamoto Takuya, Hayashi Kyoji, Komiya Setsuro Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8520 Code Number: ni06159 Sir, A 24-year-old woman visited our hospital with a three-week history of muscle weakness and sensory disturbance of bilateral lower extremities. She exhibited moon-face, hepertrichosis, obesity and hyperglycemia, which are findings typical of Cushing's syndrome. However, this patient did not have a pituitary tumor. Tomography of the thoracic spine revealed ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) at levels T6 to T9 [Figure - 1] and severe compression of the spinal cord was found on magnetic resonance imaging [Figure - 2]. Myelography and computer tomography were performed and OPLL was recognized at levels T3 to T9 of the spine [Figure - 3]. She was diagnosed with thoracic myelopathy due to OPLL. Hypercholesterolemia and abnormally high testosterone level were found. She had also polycystic lesions in both ovaries [Figure - 4] on magnetic resonance imaging and the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome was established. Her neurological symptoms aggravated rapidly and she developed paraplegia. Emergency T3 to T9 laminectomy was performed [Figure - 5] and her neurological symptoms were improved by surgery and she began to walk by eight weeks after surgery. The patient presented here also had obesity and other abnormalities including hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenemia. Hyperinsulinemia has been reported as a factor possibly related to the occurrence of OPLL.[1] Polycystic ovary syndrome is characterized by polycystic lesions of both ovaries, oligoovulation, obesity, virilism, insulin resistance compensatory hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenemia.[2] The prevalence rates of polycystic ovary syndrome for Black and White women were reported to be 8.0 and 4.8%.[3] Our survey revealed no paper reporting the occurrence of OPLL in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. However, the patients with polycystic ovary syndrome had been treated by gynecologists and the survey of the spine was not performed. The OPLL association with polycystic ovary syndrome might not be accidental. The characteristic findings of obesity, insulin resistance compensatory hyperinsulinemia, increased levels of free insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)[4] and hyperandrogenemia in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome are suspected to be related to the occurrence of OPLL. The stature of female patients with OPLL in the thoracic spine corresponds to patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. IGF-I was reported to be involved in the development of OPLL.[5] Hormonal surveys for patients with OPLL in the thoracic spine may be useful for clarifying the pathogenesis of OPLL. References
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