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Case Reports
. 2016 Nov 9;7(Suppl 28):S759-S762.
doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.193728. eCollection 2016.

Brain hemorrhage after electrical burn injury: Case report and probable mechanism

Gutierrez Aceves Guillermo Axayacalt  1 , Ceja Espinosa Alejandro  2 , Rios Alanis Marcos  2 , Ruiz Flores Milton Inocencio  2 , Herrera Gonzalez Jose Alfredo  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Brain hemorrhage after electrical burn injury: Case report and probable mechanism

Gutierrez Aceves Guillermo Axayacalt et al. Surg Neurol Int. .

Abstract

Background: High-voltage electric injury may induce lesion in different organs. In addition to the local tissue damage, electrical injuries may lead to neurological deficits, musculoskeletal damage, and cardiovascular injury. Severe vascular damage may occur making the blood vessels involved prone to thrombosis and spontaneous rupture.

Case description: Here, we present the case of a 39-year-old male who suffered an electrical burn with high tension wire causing intracranial bleeding. He presented with an electrical burn in the parietal area (entry zone) and the left forearm (exit zone). The head tomography scan revealed an intraparenchimatous bleeding in the left parietal area. In this case, the electric way was the scalp, cranial bone, blood vessels and brain, upper limb muscle, and skin. The damage was different according to the dielectric property in each tissue. The injury was in the scalp, cerebral blood vessel, skeletal muscle, and upper limb skin. The main damage was in brain's blood vessels because of the dielectric and geometric features that lead to bleeding, high temperature, and gas delivering.

Conclusion: This is a report of a patient with an electric brain injury that can be useful to elucidate the behavior of the high voltage electrical current flow into the nervous system.

Keywords: Brain; burn; electrical; hemorrhage; injury.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Entry zone
Figure 2
Figure 2
Exit zone
Figure 3
Figure 3
Presurgery head tomography. Intraparenquimatous hemorrhage with gas density (arrows)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Post-surgery head tomography
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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