Thoracic Spine Fracture After Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in a Patient with Ankylosing Spondylitis

Abstract

Case: A 32-year-old man with a history of ankylosing spondylitis presented to the emergency department because of sepsis secondary to Fournier’s gangrene and subsequently went into cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). On the twelfth hospital day, a fracture through the T5-T6 intervertebral disk space was incidentally found on a chest, abdominal, and pelvic Computed Tomography (CT) scan. The rounds of CPR were the only traumatic event that the patient underwent before the discovery of the spine fracture. Conclusion: A low threshold for advanced imaging should be held to rule out occult spine fractures in patients with ankylosed spines after receiving CPR.