Korean J Spine.  2014 Jun;11(2):74-76. 10.14245/kjs.2014.11.2.74.

Acute Hydrocephalus as a Complication of Cervical Spine Fracture and Dislocation: A Case Report

• Chung YY
• Ju CI
• Kim SW
• Kim DM

• KMID: 1802724
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14245/kjs.2014.11.2.74

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is a well-known complication of head injury, but an uncommon complication of a spinal lesion. Here, we present a rare case of acute obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to a cervical fracture and dislocation. A 60-year-old female patient was transferred to the emergency department with quadriplegia and respiratory difficulty. Imaging studies showed a cervical fracture and dislocation at the C3-4 level. She required intubation and mechanical ventilation. Twenty-four hours after admission, her mental status had deteriorated and both pupils were dilated. Computed tomography of the brain showed acute hydrocephalus; therefore, extraventricular drainage (EVD) was performed. After the EVD, her mental status recovered and she became alert, but she remained quadriplegic and dependent on the ventilator. Two months after injury, she died because of respiratory failure caused by pneumonia.

Keyword

Hydrocephalus; Cervical; Fracture

MeSH Terms

Brain
Craniocerebral Trauma
Dislocations*
Drainage
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Humans
Hydrocephalus*
Intubation
Middle Aged
Pneumonia
Pupil
Quadriplegia
Respiration, Artificial
Respiratory Insufficiency
Spine*
Ventilators, Mechanical