An Unusual Stab Injury of the Cervical Spinal Cord  - A Case Report -.

Case Report

Korean J Spine 2005;2(2): 184-187.

An Unusual Stab Injury of the Cervical Spinal Cord - A Case Report -.

Seong-Rok Han, M.D., Sang-Won Yoon, M.D., Gi-Taek Yee, M.D., Moon-Jun Sohn, M.D., Choong-Jin Whang, M.D.

Department of Neurosurgery, Ilsan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Goyang, Korea

An Unusual Stab Injury of the Cervical Spinal Cord - A Case Report -

Seong-Rok Han^, M.D.^, Sang-Won Yoon^, M.D.^, Gi-Taek Yee^, M.D.^, Moon-Jun Sohn^, M.D.^, Choong-Jin Whang^, M.D.

Abstract

The authors present the patient with an incomplete spinal cord injury (Brown Sequard syndrome) after a stab injury. A 42-year-old man had been stabbed with a knife during a fight. On physical examination, we found a 4cm laceration in the back of the upper neck. The neurological examination revealed that the motor strength of the left upper and lower extremities was a grade two. On the contralateral side, decreased pain and temperature sensations were observed below the C3 dermatome level. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine showed a hemi-transection of the spinal cord at the C1-C2 level. The patient was treated with steroids, antibiotics, and rehabilitation programs. The patient made a good recovery.

Keywords: Stab Injury.Spinal Cord.Brown Sequard syndrome