Brown Sequard syndrome in a patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome following minor trauma: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: There are some cases of Klippel-Feil syndrome with spinal cord injury in clinical work. However, there is no literature report on Brown-Sequard syndrome after trauma. We report a case of Brown-Sequard syndrome following minor trauma in a patient with KFS type III. Her Brown-Sequard syndrome is caused by Klippel-Feil syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: We found a 38-year-old female patient with KFS in our clinical work. She was unconscious on the spot following a minor traumatic episode. After treatment, her whole body was numb and limb activity was limited. Half an hour later, she felt numb and weak in the right limb and weak in the left limb. She had no previous hypertension, diabetes, or coronary heart disease. After one-month treatment of medication, hyperbaric oxygen, rehabilitation, and acupuncture in our hospital, her muscle strength partially recovered, but the treatment effect was still not satisfactory. Then, she underwent surgical treatment and postoperative comprehensive treatment, and rehabilitation training. She was able to take care of herself with assistance, and her condition improved from grade B to grade D according to the ASIA (ASIA Impairment Scale) classification. CONCLUSION: KFS, also known as short neck deformity, is a kind of congenital deformity characterized by impaired formation and faulty segmentation of the cervical spine, often associated with abnormalities of other organs. The cervical deformity in patients with KFS can alter the overall mechanical activity of the spine, as well as the compensatory properties of the spine for decelerating and rotatory forces, thus increasing the chance of spinal cord injury (SCI) following trauma. Many mechanisms can make patients more susceptible to injury. Increased range of motion of the segment adjacent to the fused vertebral body may lead to slippage of the adjacent vertebral body and altered disc stress, as well as cervical instability. SCI can result in complete or incomplete impairment of motor, sensory and autonomic nervous functions below the level of lesion. This woman presented with symptoms of BSS, a rare neurological disorder with incomplete SCI. Judging from the woman's symptoms, we concluded that previously she had KFS, which resulted in SCI without fracture and dislocation following minor trauma, with partial BSS. After the comprehensive treatment of surgery, hyperbaric oxygen, rehabilitation therapy, and neurotrophic drugs, two years later, we found her symptoms significantly improved, with ASIA Impairment Scale from grade B to grade D, and her ability to perform activities of daily living with aids.

Idiopathic spinal cord herniation at the cervicothoracic junction level presenting with unilateral sensory symptoms.

Idiopathic spinal cord herniation (ISCH) most commonly occurs through a ventral dural defect at the midthoracic levels with a predilection to affect middle-aged females. It can have various presentations, the most common of which are Brown-Séquard syndrome and spastic paraparesis. Due to its rarity in clinical practice, the diagnosis of ISCH can be challenging to physicians unfamiliar with this entity. We report an exceedingly rare case of ISCH at the C7-T1 intervertebral disc level in a 44-year-old male presenting with eight months of isolated unilateral sensory symptoms. The diagnosis was made based on the findings on the patient's magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal cord, including the presence of an extradural cerebrospinal fluid collection. Surgical reduction of the herniated segment and patching of the dural defect resulted in a remarkable clinical improvement beginning in the immediate postoperative period. Follow-up MRIs showed no sign of reherniation, and the patient remained asymptomatic after one year of follow-up. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention led to an excellent early outcome in this case. However, long-term follow-up is necessary to monitor for reherniation and relapse of the symptoms in ISCH patients.

Brown-Sequard syndrome after manual manipulation of the cervical spine: case report.

INTRODUCTION: Spinal cord injury after manual manipulation of the cervical spine is rare and has never been described resulting from a patient performing a manual manipulation on their own cervical spine. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first well-documented case of this association. CASE PRESENTATION: A healthy 29-year-old man developed Brown-Sequard syndrome immediately after performing a manipulation on his own cervical spine. Imaging showed large disc herniations at the levels of C4-C5 and C5-C6 with severe cord compression, so the patient underwent emergent surgical decompression. He was discharged to an acute rehabilitation hospital, where he made a full functional recovery by postoperative day 8. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the benefit of swift surgical intervention followed by intensive inpatient rehab. It also serves as a warning for those who perform self-cervical manipulation.

Síndrome de Brown-Séquard progresivo secundario a hernia medular idiopática: correlación clinicorradiológica y quirúrgica / Progressive Brown-Séquard syndrome secondary to idiopathic spinal cord herniation: clinico-radiological and surgical correlations

INTRODUCCIÓN: La hernia medular idiopática es una patología infrecuente que cursa clínicamente con una mielopatía progresiva, la mayoría de las ocasiones en forma de síndrome de Brown-Séquard. Su base anatómica es un defecto dural por el que se incarcera progresivamente una porción del cordón medular anterior. La resonancia magnética y la mielotomografía demuestran un acodamiento medular en «tienda de campaña» hacia la cara anterior del estuche dural, a nivel dorsal medio fundamentalmente. Caso clínico. Varón de 37 años, diagnosticado de hernia medular idiopática e intervenido quirúrgicamente mediante una técnica propia; se demuestra su correlación neurorradiológica, anatomoquirúrgica y evolutiva. CONCLUSIÓN: El tratamiento debe ser individualizado, pues no existe una técnica quirúrgica universalmente establecida

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic medullary herniation is an infrequent disease, which shows up in clinical form as a progressive mielopathy, most commonly known as the Brown-Séquard syndrome. Its anatomical base is a dural defect where a portion of anterior spinal cord gets progressively incarcerated. The MRI and myelo-CT scan show a bending of the spinal cord in the form of a «bell tent» towards the anterior dural sheath at the mid-dorsal portion mainly. CASE REPORT: A 37 year old male, who was diagnosed of idiopathic medullary herniation and surgically treated by our own developed technique, reporting its neuroradiological, anatomo-surgical and clinical correlation. CONCLUSION. Treatment should be individualized, as no standard surgical technique has been established up to the present

[Progressive Brown-Sequard syndrome secondary to idiopathic spinal cord herniation: clinico-radiological and surgical correlations]. / Síndrome de Brown-Séquard progresivo secundario a hernia medular idiopática: correlación clinicorradiológica y quirúrgica.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic medullary herniation is an infrequent disease, which shows up in clinical form as a progressive mielopathy, most commonly known as the Brown-Sequard syndrome. Its anatomical base is a dural defect where a portion of anterior spinal cord gets progressively incarcerated. The MRI and myelo-CT scan show a bending of the spinal cord in the form of a «bell tent¼ towards the anterior dural sheath at the mid-dorsal portion mainly. CASE REPORT: A 37 year old male, who was diagnosed of idiopathic medullary herniation and surgically treated by our own developed technique, reporting its neuroradiological, anatomo-surgical and clinical correlation. CONCLUSION: Treatment should be individualized, as no standard surgical technique has been established up to the present.

TITLE: Síndrome de Brown-Séquard progresivo secundario a hernia medular idiopática: correlación clinicorradiológica y quirúrgica.Introducción. La hernia medular idiopática es una patología infrecuente que cursa clínicamente con una mielopatía progresiva, la mayoría de las ocasiones en forma de síndrome de Brown-Séquard. Su base anatómica es un defecto dural por el que se incarcera progresivamente una porción del cordón medular anterior. La resonancia magnética y la mielotomografía demuestran un acodamiento medular en «tienda de campaña¼ hacia la cara anterior del estuche dural, a nivel dorsal medio fundamentalmente. Caso clínico. Varón de 37 años, diagnosticado de hernia medular idiopática e intervenido quirúrgicamente mediante una técnica propia; se demuestra su correlación neurorradiológica, anatomoquirúrgica y evolutiva. Conclusión. El tratamiento debe ser individualizado, pues no existe una técnica quirúrgica universalmente establecida.

Surgical Management of Idiopathic Thoracic Spinal Cord Herniation.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic spinal cord herniation is a rare condition that involves spinal cord herniation through a defect in the ventral dura. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present a case of a 61-year-old woman who initially presented in 2016 with an approximately 1-year history of burning right lower extremity pain and gait instability. Her neurologic examination was consistent with thoracic Brown-Sequard syndrome, and spinal magnetic resonance imaging showed a focal defect in the ventral dura at the superior aspect of T4 with the left aspect of the cord herniating into the defect. In 2018, she underwent a T3-T4 laminectomy with T3 pedicle take down and medial facetectomy, with reduction of the herniated cord. CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic spinal cord herniation is an uncommon spinal cord disorder with a paucity of data reported. Our case report of a classic case of idiopathic spinal cord herniation presenting as Brown-Sequard syndrome and managed surgically will contribute to the data in this field.

Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis from thyroid carcinoma: Case report and a systematic pooled analysis of the literature.

Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is rare and occurs most commonly in the setting of advanced malignancy. The optimal management pathways are not well defined and treatment outcomes from contemporary therapies remain variable. We report a case of a 49-year-old woman with known primary papillary thyroid carcinoma, who presented with rapidly progressive clinical features of Brown-Sequard syndrome. A detailed pooled analysis of the literature was conducted to characterise the clinical and demographic features, management options, and expected survival outcomes for cases of ISCM. We secondarily performed a subgroup analysis on the incidence, clinical and management characteristics of thyroid carcinoma ISCM.

Nerve Transfers in Patients with Brown-Séquard Pattern of Spinal Cord Injury: Report of 2 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Use of distal nerve transfer for improving upper limb function has been well described for patients with tetraplegic spinal cord injury and brachial plexus injuries but has not previously been described for Brown-Séquard type spinal cord injury. We describe our experience with 2 cases of combined Brown-Séquard injury and unilateral brachial amyotrophy. CASE DESCRIPTION: Patient 1, a 43-year-old woman, was involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustained left-side C5-7 level hemicord injury causing ipsilateral proximal arm weakness and sensory loss with contralateral hemisensory changes, neuropathic pain, and spasms. At 6 months after injury, she underwent a spinal accessory to suprascapular nerve, radial nerve triceps branch to axillary nerve, and ulnar fascicle to biceps transfer. At 2-year follow-up, she had improved function with Medical Research Council grade 4 power of shoulder abduction, elbow flexion, and internal and external rotation. Patient 2, a 38-year-old man, sustained a C4-5 fracture-dislocation in a motor vehicle accident and associated right-side hemicord injury involving the C5 and C6 myotomes with relatively preserved distal function. At 9 months after injury, he underwent radial nerve triceps branch to axillary nerve division and ulnar nerve fascicle to musculocutaneous nerve brachialis branch transfer. At 8 months after surgery, electromyography demonstrated evidence of further reinnervation of the deltoid muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Our early experience of nerve transfer with 2 patients with combined Brown-Séquard cord injury and brachial amyotrophy indicated acceptable surgical safety and demonstrated encouraging results.

Lateral lipomyelomeningocele of the hemicord with split cord malformation type I revealed by 3D heavily T2-weighted MR imaging.

BACKGROUND: Lipomyelomeningocele (LMMC) is defined by a low-lying tethered spinal cord protruding posteriorly from the spinal canal and terminating in a lipomatous mass in the subcutaneous meningeal sac. The coexistence of LMMC with split cord malformation (SCM) is rare. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We report on a patient with laterally protruded LMMC arising from the hemicord of SCM type I. Direct coronal and axial views (instead of sagittal views) of 3D heavily T2-weighted MR imaging (3D-hT2WI) clearly demonstrated the topographical relationship between both of the hemicords, the bony septum, and nerve roots in the right subcutaneous meningeal sac. CONCLUSION: Combined use of axial and coronal images of 3D-hT2W is useful for visualization and surgery of such a complicated anomaly.

Extramedullary Cavernous Hemangioma with Intradural and Extradural Growth and Clinical Symptoms of Brown-Séquard Syndrome: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Primary spinal tumors are rare. Symptoms depend on the size and location of the tumor. CASE DESCRIPTION: A patient presented with a rare clinical finding, Brown-Séquard syndrome. The symptoms were caused by an extramedullary tumor compressing on the thoracic spinal cord. Pathologic examination showed cavernous hemangioma with growth both intradurally and extradurally. CONCLUSIONS: This is an extremely rare finding; to our knowledge, only 1 case report has been published before in which a spinal cavernous hemangioma had intradural and extradural growth. The clinical symptoms of Brown-Séquard syndrome have not been described before in the findings of spinal cavernous hemangiomas.

Intramedullary spinal cord neurocysticercosis presenting as Brown-Séquard syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Cysticercosis is a parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of Taenia Solium. Involvement of the central nervous system by this tapeworm is endemic in developing countries. However, isolated spinal involvement by Taenia Solium is uncommon and having clinical presentation of Brown-Séquard syndrome is even rarer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 43-year-old male who came to the emergency department with clinical presentation of complete Brown-Séquard syndrome. Computed tomography scan of the brain was normal. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic spine revealed an intramedullary mass of the spinal cord at C-7/T-l level. Patient underwent surgery that revealed a cystic lesion and was resected. Histopathological report confirmed the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Postoperatively, oral steroid therapy and a four week course of albendazol were administered. CONCLUSIONS: Intramedullary neurcysticercosis represents a diagnostic challenge and should be considered in intramedullary lesions in settings where Taenia solium is endemic. Clinical, pathophysiological and diagnostic aspects of spinal cord intramedullary neurocysticercosis are discussed.

Two cases of Brown-Séquard syndrome in penetrating spinal cord injuries.

INTRODUCTION: Brown-Séquard syndrome due to a stab injuries is uncommon and results from a lesion in one half of the spinal cord. BACKGROUND: The role of surgery in the treatment of penetrating spinal injury often remain controversial. AIM: To discuss the current diagnostic and therapeutic approach for these types of injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Authors describe two rare cases of Brown-Séquard syndrome due to civilian stab injuries differently treated. Mechanism of damage, clinical features and neurological outcome are reported. RESULTS: The recovery of neurological function in the first case indicates that the spinal tracts were injured by a contusion, rather than by a direct injury as in the second case. Moreover, surgery was required in the second patient to remove the weapon and to stabilize the spine, presenting bony and ligamentous instability. DISCUSSION: The diagnostic and therapeutic management are debated. An overview on clinical research in sperimental medical treatment of spinal cord injury was considered to evaluate future possible approaches to these injuries. CONCLUSIONS: As the neurologic improvement depends on the type and severity of the spinal cord damage, the indications for acute surgical management are limited and conservative management should be preferred.

Cervical epidural haematoma causing Brown-Sequard syndrome: a case report.

Brown-Sequard syndrome secondary to compression of the spinal cord by an epidural haematoma following minor trauma is rare. A 65-year-old woman presented with neck pain and sudden onset hemiplegia with contralateral anaesthesia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a haematoma in the epidural space in the C3 to C5 levels. She underwent open-door laminoplasty for evacuation of the haematoma. At the 2-year follow-up, she had regained normal sensations and a neurological grade of 5/5.

Brown-Séquard syndrome after a gun shot wound to the cervical spine: a case report.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Brown-Séquard syndrome is characterized by a hemisection of the spinal cord most commonly after spinal trauma or neoplastic disease. The injury causes ipsilateral hemiplegia and proprioceptive sensory disturbances with contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation. Patients with Brown-Séquard syndrome have the best prognosis of all spinal cord injury patterns. At this time, the ideal management for Brown-Séquard syndrome after penetrating trauma has yet to be defined. PURPOSE: To report a case of a gun shot wound to the upper cervical spine that resulted in Brown-Séquard syndrome and was treated effectively with early cervical spine decompression and fusion. STUDY DESIGN: Observational case report. METHODS: A 28-year-old woman presented after sustaining a low-velocity gun shot wound in to the upper cervical spine in a civilian assault. On initial presentation, she had 0/5 motor scores in the left upper and lower extremities and normal motor scores on the right. Sensory examination was limited as she was intubated and sedated on admission due to airway compromise. A computed tomography scan revealed a bullet lodged in the vertebral body of C3 with boney fragments and soft tissue encroaching on the spinal cord. Subsequently, she underwent C3 corpectomy, bulletectomy, and anterior cervical decompression with fusion. RESULTS: Intraoperatively, no dural disruption or cerebral spinal fluid leak was noted, and her posterior longitudinal ligament was intact. One month postoperatively, her left lower extremity motor score was 5/5 with movement of her left thumb and all fingers. Strength in her biceps, triceps, and wrist extensors and flexors was 3/5. Her functional capacity and strength gradually improved. CONCLUSIONS: Reinke et al. support surgical intervention for patients with incomplete paraplegia after the patient is medically stabilized, although their case report discussed lower thoracic injury, which carries a more favorable prognosis. All other prior case reports and prospective studies that reported favorable outcomes after Brown-Séquard syndrome involved the midthoracic, low thoracic, or lumbar spinal levels. This report is the first case of Brown-Séquard syndrome after a high cervical gun shot wound, which was managed with immediate decompression and fusion, where near complete recovery was obtained.

Radiographic and intraoperative imaging of a hemisection of the spinal cord resulting in a pure Brown-Séquard syndrome: case report and review of the literature.

Brown-Séquard plus syndrome (BSPS) or incomplete spinal cord injuries from stab injury have been widely reported. However, only four detailed cases of pure Brown-Séquard syndrome (BSS) from stab injury have been previously reported. Here we present the case of an 18-year-old man who sustained a penetrating knife stab injury to the right side of his back resulting in a pure Brown-Séquard syndrome with left lower extremity hemiplegia. Imaging revealed right-sided soft tissue and ligamentous damage traveling in a right-to-left fashion as well as left-sided T2-weighted MRI cord signal change at the level of T9. Given concern for a cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF) leak, the patient was taken for wound exploration, irrigation, laminectomy, dural closure and lumbar drain placement. At three years follow up, the patient was almost full strength. This is the first case in the literature demonstrating radiographic and correlative intraoperative imaging of a hemisection of the spinal cord resulting in a pure Brown-Séquard syndrome.

Type I spinal arteriovenous fistulae exception: a case for reclassification.

OBJECTIVE: Type I spinal arteriovenous lesions represent dorsal dural arteriovenous fistulae with no spinal artery involvement. We report an exception to this and propose dividing Type I lesions into dorsal and ventral categories. METHODS: A 51-year-old patient presented with a partial Brown-Sequard syndrome. An angiogram revealed a spinal arteriovenous fistula, most prominently being fed a radicular artery arising from the right vertebral artery with only ventral venous drainage. RESULTS: This feeder was selected and embolized with onyx, however residual fistula persisted and the patient subsequently underwent microsurgical disconnection. At six-month follow-up, patient motor deficits have resolved and difficulty with proprioception is improving. CONCLUSION: Type I dural arteriovenous fistulae are associated with dorsal venous drainage. Our case demonstrates an exception to this. Recognizing this exception was crucial, because it allowed for simple microsurgical disconnection. We propose that type I dural arteriovenous fistulae be subdivided into ventral and dorsal based on their drainage pattern. This differentiation is critical because lesions with ventral drainage have traditionally been classified as type IV. These lesions have a different treatment method given involvement of spinal arteries.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma presenting as Brown-Séquard syndrome.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) is a rare disease. Furthermore, Brown-Séquard syndrome due to spontaneous SEH has been rarely reported. Early detection of spontaneous SEH is not easy because early symptoms are often atypical and neurologic findings are often absent in the early stage. Early diagnosis and urgent surgical management are needed to prevent permanent neurologic deficits. We report a case of a 30-year-old patient who presented with Brown-Séquard syndrome due to spontaneous SEH. The patient has recovered successfully without any complications through surgical decompression within 12 hours of onset.