Stab wound in cervical spine causing Brown-Séquard syndrome: case report

ABSTRACT

Introduction: To report a case of cervical spinal cord injury due to stab wounds, with the development of the Brown-Séquard syndrome. Methods: We analyzed clinical and imaging, as well as conduits for the case of a 22 year-old man, victim of physical aggression by stab wound in the neck. Results: Tetraparesis, contralateral deficit of thermal and pain sensitivities below the lesion and ipsilateral motor and proprioception deficits are justified by the findings on imaging studies. A CT scan of the cervical spine revealed a hyperdense lesion between C3-C4. The MRI, in turn, showed the presence of right paravertebral hematoma and partial spinal cord injury between C3 and C4. The moderate neurological deficit persisted at discharge from hospital. Conclusion: Spinal cord injuries due to stab wounds are uncommon when compared to those caused by other factors such as traffic accidents, falls and gunshot injury. The neurological presentation of Brown-Séquard syndrome has been reported as rare in medical literature. Its treatment in most cases is conservative and the prognosis is better when it comes from stab injury rather than other causes.