Journal of the Bahrain Medical Society

Year 2023, Volume 35, Issue 2, Pages 48-51

https://doi.org/10.26715/jbms.35_2_7

Case Report

Traumatic Cervical Disc Herniation Manifesting as Brown-Sequard Syndrome: A Case Report

Ahmed Mohamed Hazeem1*, Faheem Nawaz2, Mohammed Saleh Al-Blooshi3

Author Affiliation

1BSc, MD, Junior Resident, Neurosurgery Department, BDF-RMS Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain

2M.D, FCPS (Fellow of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan) Neurosurgery, MRCPSG (Member of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow) Senior Resident in Neurosurgery Department, BDF-RMS Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain

3MD, MRCSI (Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons Ireland), SBNS (Saudi Board of Neurosurgery) Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spine Surgeon, BDF-RMS Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain

*Corresponding author: Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Hazeem, BSc, MD, Junior Resident, Neurosurgery Department, BDF-RMS Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain; Email: Dramh@outlook.com; Tel. No. +973-38897980

Received date: October 26, 2022; Accepted date: April 6, 2023; Published date: June 30, 2023

For tables and figures, please refer to PDF.


Abstract

Brown-Sequard syndrome (BSS) is an uncommon condition caused by a localized injury to one side of the spinal cord. It is rarely reported to present because of cervical disc herniation (CDH), especially as a result of 2 consecutive discs prolapse, with only 8 cases reported worldwide, 4 of which have the cervical disc levels of C5-C6, C6-C7 being affected just like the case we are presenting. A 45 years male had complained of left-sided body pain and numbness following a fall, his symptoms progressing over two weeks to left side hemiparesis and impaired sensation; MRI of C spine revealed C5-C6, C6- C7 disc prolapse with cord compression resulting in BSS. The patient was treated surgically by anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) followed by physiotherapy. The patient showed complete recovery in terms of sensory and motor deficits in both the right and left upper and lower limbs. We are stressing the role of detailed history, comprehensive neurological examination, and proper imaging in the early diagnosis of BSS. Treatment with anterior surgical intervention is the recommended approach in most reported cases and is associated with an excellent prognosis.

Keywords: Brown-Sequard syndrome, cervical disc herniation, cervical discectomy, cervical fusion and decompression, cervical spine injuries, spinal cord syndromes