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Case Reports
. 2009 Nov;46(5):505-10.
doi: 10.3340/jkns.2009.46.5.505. Epub 2009 Nov 30.

Cervical disc herniation as a cause of brown-séquard syndrome

Kyeong Bo Choi  1 , Choon Dae Lee, Dai-Jin Chung, Sang-Ho Lee
Affiliations
Case Reports

Cervical disc herniation as a cause of brown-séquard syndrome

Kyeong Bo Choi et al. J Korean Neurosurg Soc. 2009 Nov.

Abstract

The possible causes of Brown-Séquard Syndrome (BSS) have been frequently observed with spinal trauma and extramedullary spinal tumors, but the cervical disc herniation to cause BSS is rare. The authors present five cases of patients who were diagnosed with BSS resulting from cervical disc herniation, and the results of the literature in view of their distinctive symptoms and clinical outcomes. Postoperatively, the patients showed complete or almost complete recovery from their motor and sensory deficits. On the basis of our cases, it is important to diagnose it early by cervical magnetic resonance imaging, especially in the absence of the typical symptoms of cervical disc herniation or other obvious etiology of extremity numbness. Immediate surgical treatment is also essential for a favorable functional neurological recovery.

Keywords: Brown-Séquard Syndrome; anterior cervical discectomy and fusion; cervical disc herniation.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Preoperative T2-weighted sagittal (A) and axial (B) magnetic resonance images reveal a large right paramedian C3-C4 disc herniation and severe compression of the ipsilateral spinal cord with intramedullary high signal intensity in patient-1.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Postoperative T2-weighted sagittal (A) and axial (B) magnetic resonance images taken six months later reveal complete decompression of the cervical spinal cord with markedly reduced hyperintensity at the C3-C4 interspace in patient-1.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Preoperative T2-weighted sagittal (A) and axial (B) MR images show a large left paramedian ruptured and distally migrated disc herniation at the C5-C6 level with a left protruding disc in the C6-C7 space, and severe compression of the spinal cord, in patient-2.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Postoperative lateral plain radiograph taken three months later shows a two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion using an allogenous fibular bone graft with metal plate fixation in patient-2.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Diagram of cervical herniated disc compressed lateral corticothalamic tract and ventral spinothalamic tract.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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