Spinal cord injury by a stab wound and Brown Séquard syndrome: Case report

Introduction: It is unusual to observe the occurrence of Brown Séquard syndrome as a consequence of a lateral hemisection of the spinal cord caused by a stab wound. We report a case of this syndrome showing its typical presentation. Clinical Case: A male, 18-year old subject was attacked and suffere...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Casallo Quiliano, Carlos
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2012
País:Perú
Institución:Colegio Médico del Perú
Repositorio:Acta Médica Peruana
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:amp.cmp.org.pe:article/1173
Acceso en línea:https://amp.cmp.org.pe/index.php/AMP/article/view/1173
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:resonancia magnética nuclear Síndrome de Brown-Séquard
traumatismos de la médula espinal
médula espinal
Brown-Sequard Syndrome
Spinal Cord Injuries
spinal cord
Descripción
Sumario:Introduction: It is unusual to observe the occurrence of Brown Séquard syndrome as a consequence of a lateral hemisection of the spinal cord caused by a stab wound. We report a case of this syndrome showing its typical presentation. Clinical Case: A male, 18-year old subject was attacked and suffered a stab wound in his right cervical area. The patient developed ipsilateral hemiparesis, an ipsilateral proprioception disturbance and a contralateral thermo-algesic disturbance. Image studies showed a laminar fracture in C6 and spinal edema in the same area. The patient underwent a C6-laminectomy. Three months after surgery, his neurological condition improved. Conclusions: It is unusual to observe the occurrence of Brown Séquard syndrome in its so-called classical or 'pure' form caused by a stab wound. The mandatory image study to perform in these cases is magnetic resonance imaging. Surgical therapy should be immediately performed only if there is evidence of a bone or metal fragment in the spinal canal, or if there is a hematoma in this area.