Locked-In Syndrome after Traumatic Basilar Artery Entrapment within a Clivus Fracture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Tjerk J Lagrand; Vincent A J Bruijnes; A M Madeleine Van der Stouwe; Eric A Deckers; Aryan Mazuri; Bram Jacobs

doi:10.1089/neur.2020.0015

Locked-In Syndrome after Traumatic Basilar Artery Entrapment within a Clivus Fracture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Neurotrauma Rep. 2020 Sep 14;1(1):73-77. doi: 10.1089/neur.2020.0015. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Tjerk J Lagrand¹, Vincent A J Bruijnes², A M Madeleine Van der Stouwe¹, Eric A Deckers³, Aryan Mazuri², Bram Jacobs¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
² Department of Radiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
³ Department of Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Abstract

We report the case of a 58-year-old male with a rare vascular complication after traumatic head injury: entrapment of the basilar artery into a fracture of the clivus, ultimately leading to a locked-in syndrome due to brainstem infarction. Review of the literature revealed 19 earlier published cases of basilar artery entrapment within traumatic longitudinal clival fractures. In the majority of these patients there is an unfavorable neurological outcome.

Keywords: basilar artery; clivus fracture; entrapment; head trauma; locked-in syndrome.