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Mechanisms underlying spinal cord damage in decompression sickness

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Department, Research Task M4306.01.1150AAK9, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda.

Decompression sickness, which damaged the spinal cord, was produced in anesthetized dogs using a compression chamber. Cerebrospinal fluid pressure and several intravascular and intracardiac pressures were monitored during the course of the simulated dives. Manometric responses to forcible lung inflation and abdominal compression were measured both predive and postdive after signs of spinal cord damage were evident. Cinevenography of the epidural vertebral venous system was performed both predive and postdive. Histopathologic studies of the brains and cords of paretic animals were carried out. The results indicate that the epidural vertebral venous system becomes obstructed during spinal cord damaging decompression sickness and strongly suggests that spinal cord infarction in decompression sickness is caused by obstruction of cord venous drainage at the level of the epidural vertebral venous system.

Received for publication August 28, 1974.

Dr. Hallenbeck's address is Naval Medical Research Institute, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20014.

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