Late-Onset Post-Traumatic Spinal Cord Herniation as a Rare and Overlooked Cause of Late Neurologic Deterioration After Penetrating Injury to the Thoracic Spine: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background and case description: We report a case of an 18-year-old patient who presented with late progressive deterioration of neurologic condition 8 weeks after a penetrating injury to the back. Investigations revealed a dorsally located post-traumatic spinal cord herniation. Urgent exploration, decompression, and repair were performed. We reviewed the literature and found only 19 similar cases previously reported. Pathophysiology and presentations were variable and even poorly understood.

Conclusions: Late-onset post-traumatic spinal cord herniation is a potentially curable cause of neurologic deterioration after spinal trauma and should be considered in all cases with late neurologic deterioration after spinal trauma.

Keywords: Penetrating spinal cord injury; Spinal cord herniation.