J Korean Soc Spine Surg.  2017 Dec;24(4):252-256. 10.4184/jkss.2017.24.4.252.

Brown-Séquard Syndrome and Cervical Vertebral Fractures after Blunt Cervical Trauma in a Traffic Accident - A Case Report -

• Suh SP
• Choi WR
• Kang CN

• KMID: 2408195
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4184/jkss.2017.24.4.252

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Case report
OBJECTIVES
To report a case of Brown-Séquard syndrome after blunt cervical trauma. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Brown-Séquard syndrome is a rare disease characterized by hemisection of the spinal cord, and it shows the best prognosis of the various types of incomplete spinal cord injuries.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A patient with Brown-Séquard syndrome that occurred after a traffic accident was followed up for 2 years and 6 months.
RESULTS
We observed normal recovery of motor strength, but sensory impairment and deep tendon hyperreflexia remained.
CONCLUSIONS
Brown-Séquard syndrome is known to have a good prognosis, but in this case, the neurological abnormality did not fully recover; therefore, we report this rare case and present a review of the literature.

Keyword

Brown séquard syndrome; Cervical vertebrae; Fracture; Spinal cord injury

MeSH Terms

Accidents, Traffic*
Cervical Vertebrae
Female
Humans
Prognosis
Rare Diseases
Reflex, Abnormal
Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord Injuries
Tendons

Figure

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  Fig. 1. The patient's medical record with an assessment using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale at the initial visit.

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  Fig. 2. Simple radiographs of the cervical spine. The anteroposterior view (A) shows a fracture of the left superior articular process of C3 (arrow). The lateral view (B) shows fractures of the body of C4 (arrow) and the spinous process of C4 (arrowhead).

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  Fig. 3. Computed tomography of the cervical spine. The axial view of C3 (A) shows fractures of the body (arrow), left superior articular process, and lamina (arrowhead). The axial view of C4 (B) shows fractures of both lamina (arrow). The midsagittal view (C) shows fractures of the body of C4 (arrow) and the spinous process of C4 (arrowhead). There was no spinal canal encroachment.

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  Fig. 4. The axial (A) and midsagittal (B) view of T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. The arrow indicates high signal intensity in the left side of the spinal cord at the C3-C4 level.

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