• S Takemura, K Sasai, H Ohnari, N Ichikawa, S Akagi, and H Iida.
• 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Japan.
• Spinal Cord. 2006 Aug 1;44(8):518-21.

Study DesignCase report.ObjectiveTo describe the mechanism of injury in this case and its clinical features. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of hemorrhage in spinal cord injury due to stab wound are discussed.MethodsWe describe the case of a 21-year-old woman who was stabbed in the right side of her neck and developed left-sided Brown-Séquard syndrome plus loss of bilateral proprioceptive sensation. Neither plain radiographs nor computed tomography of the cervical spine demonstrated any foreign bodies or fractures of the cervical spine. T2-weighted cervical MR images confirm spinal cord hemiresection at C5-C6.ResultsMR imaging was performed serially at 4 days, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after trauma. The signal pattern of the spinal cord at the site of injury varied iso, iso, and low on T1-weighted consecutive images. Meanwhile, high signal intensity on T2-weighted images was consistent during the 8 weeks after incidence of trauma. A T2-weighted sagittal image showed a tiny spot of low intensity in the high signal band at the site of penetration, demonstrating hemosiderin formation in the spinal cord. The patient was treated conservatively and, recovered from Frankel grade C to grade D.ConclusionSpinal cord injuries (SCI) following stab wounds are rare. MR imaging is definitely useful for recording and monitoring the pathology of SCI.

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