Spinal cord compression in renal osteodystrophy.

A patient undergoing regular haemodialysis for chronic renal insufficiency developed neck pain followed by progressive spinal cord compression due to subluxation at the level C3-4. Decompression, laminectomy and osteosynthesis led to an almost complete recovery. A review of all the histological specimens suggested that hyperparathyroidism and not amyloidosis caused the vertebral destruction.