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Spine
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OALL - Ossification of Anterior Longitudinal Ligament

Degenerative Spine

A 72-year-old male presents with 2 years of progressive difficulty swallowing solid foods. He feels food gets "stuck" at the level of his throat. He has mild type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 32. Lateral cervical spine radiograph shows flowing ossification along the anterior vertebral bodies from C3 to C7 with preserved disc height. Regarding ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament (OALL):

Mark each as TRUE or FALSE

A

OALL refers to ossification/hyperostosis of the anterior longitudinal ligament, most commonly in the...

B

Dysphagia is the most common presenting symptom of cervical OALL/DISH, caused by mechanical compress...

C

OALL always causes neurological deficits due to spinal cord compression; it is an inflammatory condi...

D

Risk factors for DISH/OALL include male sex, age over 50, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabol...

E

Conservative management includes dietary modification (soft foods), anti-reflux measures, and monito...

Answer the questions to see explanations

Click T (True) or F (False) for each option