Spinal cord stroke. Coloured Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan of a side view of a patient's lower (thoracic,T) spine showing spinal cord infarction (stroke) with resulting haematoma (collection of blood). Running down centre are bones of the vertebral column (red); thoracic vertebra 11 (below bone T10) has suffered damage both to it and the intervertebral disc between. As a result the spinal cord at right is affected at that level with a inscord infarctins, a spinal stroke in which a blood clot has occurred. Haemorrhage from here has caused blood to pool around it (haematoma) as far as the cauda equina (nerve roots at base of the spine). Symptoms of spinal stroke are back pain, paralysis, sometimes death.