Definition
Brown Séquard Syndrome (BSS), sometimes referred to as Brown-Séquard hemiplegia or paralysis, was first observed in 1849 by Mauritian physiologist and neurologist Brown-Séquard (Brown-Sequard 1850). The syndrome is characterized by a functional lateral hemisection of the spinal cord. The most common cause of BSS is trauma involving a penetrating mechanism, for example, a stab or gunshot wound (Musker and Musker 2011). In addition, blunt trauma, pressure contusion, motor vehicle accidents, or severe falls that cause unilateral facet fracture and dislocation may also lead to the development of BSS.
Neurologically, these patients present with loss of motor function (hemiparaplegia) and sensation on the ipsilateral side of the hemisection. Interruption of the lateral corticospinal tracts may lead patients to present with ispilateral spastic paralysis below the level of lesion as well as Babinski’s sign. Damage to the...
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References
Brown-Sequard C-E (1850) De La Transmission Croisee Des Impressions Sensitives Par La Moelle Epiniere. Comptes rendus de la Societe de biologie 2:33–44
Little JW, Halar E (1985) Temporal course of motor recovery after Brown-Sequard spinal cord injuries. Paraplegia 23(1):39–46
McKinley W, Santos K, Meade M, Brooke K (2007) Incidence and outcomes of spinal cord injury clinical syndromes. J Spinal Cord Med 30(3):215–224
Musker P, Musker G (2011) Pneumocephalus and Brown-Sequard syndrome caused by a stab wound to the back. Emerg Med Australas 23(2):217–219
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Itzoe, M., Sciubba, D.M. (2015). Brown-Séquard Syndrome. In: Papadakos, P.J., Gestring, M.L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Trauma Care. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29613-0_579
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29613-0_579
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