Management of asymptomatic cervical spinal stenosis in the setting of symptomatic tandem lumbar stenosis: A review

•Often, asymptomatic cervical stenosis is encountered in the clinical setting during the workup of a symptomatic lumbar stenosis and degenerative disease.•The goal of surgical treatment for CSM is to halt the steady progression of clinical worsening. Unfortunately, many patients do not seek therapy until significant deficits are present or often due to painful syndromes of concurrent lumbar degenerative disease.•The authors provide the first literature review to date addressing the management of tandem cervical and lumbar stenosis.•There is insufficient evidence in the literature to support the need for preemptive decompression for asymptomatic cervical cord compression with or without a correlative T2 hyperintense cord signal.•Early diagnosis of cervical stenosis is significant in the setting of newly symptomatic radiculopathy and/or myelopathy as each patient in this clinical setting should be followed closely, as the literature shows the tendency for a clinical progression to eventual cervical myelopathy.

IntroductionThis article reviews the literature regarding tandem asymptomatic cervical stenosis in the setting of symptomatic lumbar stenosis. The presenting features of cervical spondylotic myelopathy are insidious and consistent with upper motor neuron loss. Often, asymptomatic cervical stenosis is encountered in the clinical setting during the workup of a symptomatic lumbar stenosis and degenerative disease.MethodsA PubMed (1966 to July 2013) electronic database search was conducted for articles pertaining to the diagnosis of incidentally discovered cervical cord compression. Keywords and MESH terms were limited to asymptomatic cervical stenosis, asymptomatic cervical compression, asymptomatic spinal stenosis, asymptomatic cervical spondylosis, and asymptomatic cervical cord signal. The primary literature topics for manuscript inclusion were the development of symptomatic myelopathy from asymptomatic cord signal edema, as well as the presence of tandem stenosis as defined above by incidental cervical stenosis during the workup of lumbar degenerative disease.ResultsThere were no previous systematic reviews, randomized trials, or prospective studies on the management of tandem cervical and thoracic stenosis. Five studies, all retrospective reviews containing relevant data were included in the review. Asymptomatic cervical stenosis encountered in the investigation of lumbar symptoms was had a 23% incidence. A risk of 5% per year of development of myelopathy previously reported.ConclusionsThere is insufficient evidence in the literature to support the need for preemptive decompression for asymptomatic cervical cord compression with or without a correlative T2 hyperintense cord signal. Early diagnosis of radiculopathy or myelopathy in patients with cervical stenosis (i.e., through conversion of asymptomatic to symptomatic state) is important as each patient with in this clinical setting should be followed closely, as the literature shows the tendency for a clinical progression to eventual cervical myelopathy.