Cureus
Thoracic Myelopathy Associated with Persistent Idiopathic Scoliosis in Adulthood: A Case Report.
Shunsuke Iwai, Satoshi Suzuki, Kazuki Takeda, Kota Watanabe, Masaya Nakamura
Published: 202510.7759/cureus.97967
Abstract
Open AccessWe report a rare case of thoracic myelopathy associated with persistent idiopathic scoliosis in adulthood. Despite having a thoracic Cobb angle of more than 50°, the patient refused corrective surgery after being diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis at age 16. Even in adulthood, the scoliotic curves continued to progress, leading to instability at T11/12 and spinal canal stenosis with intramedullary signal change. This case highlights that long-standing severe thoracic and thoracolumbar double-major curves can lead to instability at the thoracolumbar junction, ultimately resulting in neurological deficits.