Abstract

QUINTANA-GONZALES, Asencio; SOTOMAYOR-ESPICHAN, Rosa; MARTINEZ-ROMERO, María  and  KUROKI-GARCIA, César. Nontraumatic spinal cord injury: etiology, demography and clinics. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica [online]. 2011, vol.28, n.4, pp. 633-638. ISSN 1726-4634.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1726-46342011000400010.

We performed a retrospective and descriptive cross-sectional; study in 210 hospitalized patients with spinal cord injury at the National Institute of Rehabilitation (INR), Callao, Peru from 2000-2006. The goal was to describe etiology, and clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of non traumatic spinal cord injuries (LMNT). We found a prevalence of 27 % for LMNT, average age at onset of 32.0 years, male gender 50.5 %, and secondary education completed in 41.9 %, poverty 90.5 %. The infectious etiology (viral and bacterial) was predominant in 37.6 %, with 11.9 infected with HTLVI. Although the INR is a reference center, the findings can’t be generalized because it isn’t a representative sample of the Peruvian population, further studies are necessary to propose strategies for prevention and control, considering the high cost of integral rehabilitation treatment in these patients.

Keywords : Spinal cord injuries; Prevalence; Etiology.