Podcast 578: Brown-Sequard Syndrome

Author: Eric Miller, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Brown-Sequard Syndrome is a neurological deficit that results from hemisection of the spinal cord 
• This is usually from traumatic injury (blunt or penetrating), but can rarely be seen with cancer, disc herniation, or infection
• It presents with flaccid paralysis and loss of sensation to touch/vibration/position on the same side as the injury with loss of pain/temperature sensation on the opposite side of the injury.  These deficits will be below the level of injury. 

References

Roth, E., Park, T., Pang, T. et al. Traumatic cervical Brown-Sequard and Brown-Sequard-plus syndromes: the spectrum of presentations and outcomes. Spinal Cord 29, 582–589 (1991). 

Wagner R, Jagoda A. Spinal cord syndromes. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 1997;15(3):699. 

Summarized by Will Dewispelaere, MS4 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD