Case of Brown Sequard syndrome with ipsilateral peripheral vasodilation

Kari Nelson; Eleanor Chu; Nadine Abi-Jaoudeh

doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2020.06.005

Case of Brown Sequard syndrome with ipsilateral peripheral vasodilation

Radiol Case Rep. 2020 Jun 27;15(8):1366-1368. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2020.06.005. eCollection 2020 Aug.

Authors

Kari Nelson¹, Eleanor Chu¹, Nadine Abi-Jaoudeh¹

Affiliation

¹ University of California Irvine School of Medicine, 101 The City Drive South, Building 20, Room 144, Orange, CA 92868, USA.

Abstract

Brown-Sequard Syndrome is a neurologic disorder caused by partial spinal cord injury and disruption of the corticospinal tract, dorsal columns, and spinothalamic tract. We present a 32-year-old male with partial T11-12 cord transection due to a penetrating knife injury. In addition to the classical neurological symptoms of Brown-Sequard Syndrome, he also exhibited ipsilateral peripheral vasodilatation below the level of injury. This finding is attributed to the disruption of the intermediolateral columns of the spinal cord and impaired sympathetic tone on the peripheral vasculature. Awareness of this finding can raise the radiologist's suspicion for spinal cord injury in the setting of trauma and peripheral vasodilation.

Keywords: Brown-Sequard; Cord transection; Sympathetic tone; Vasodilation.

Publication types

Case Reports