Scissors stab wound to the cervical spinal cord at the craniocervical junction.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Stab wounds resulting in spinal cord injury of the craniocervical junction are rare. A scissors stab wound to the cervical spinal cord has been reported only once in the literature.

PURPOSE

This paper aimed to report a case of Brown-Séquard-plus syndrome in an 8-year-old boy secondary to a scissors stab wound at the craniocervical junction.

STUDY DESIGN

Case report and review of the literature.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Case report of an 8-year-old boy accidentally stabbed in the neck by scissors, which were thrown as a dart.

METHODS

The case study of an 8-year-old boy who was hospitalized because of a scissors stab wound at the craniocervical junction. The patient developed Brown-Séquard-plus syndrome on the left side of the body. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a laceration of the spinal cord at the craniocervical junction with cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Careful cleansing and interrupted sutures of the wounds were performed to prevent cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Rehabilitation therapy was performed 2 days later.

RESULTS

A follow-up examination revealed complete recovery of the neurologic deficit 8 months post-injury.

CONCLUSION

Treatment of scissors stab wounds to the cervical spinal cord, whether conservative management or thorough surgical exploration, should be individualized based on history, examination, and imaging. As shown in this case report, despite conservative management, complete recovery, which was unexpected, was attributed to the initial mild laceration of the spinal cord and ipsilateral spinal cord functional compensation.