Cervical kyphoscoliosis due to substance abuse: a case series on introduction and neurosurgical treatment

Study design

A prospective case series.

Objective

To investigate the possible associations of multi-directional cervical kyphoscoliosis (CKS) with substance abuse and evaluate treatment outcomes.

Summary of background data

CKS is a rare medical situation without a well-established pathology. Still there are many obscurities in treatment paradigms and outcomes. To our knowledge, there is no published report on the association between CKS with addiction. Besides the novel report of such a rare etiology for CSK, the complexity of the neurosurgical treatment makes this report the first of its kind.

Methods

In this series, we presented three patients with a history of crack cocaine addiction who suffered CKS due to prolonged hand-over-neck posture and treated all of them with a complex neurosurgical protocol.

Results

All cases were operated on and restored their normal spine alignment. Their long-term outcomes showed independent neurological status with no major surgical complications.

Conclusion

Crack cocaine addiction might be associated with CKS in long-term cocaine abuse. A complex neurosurgical approach can achieve a sustainable clinical outcome.