U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Brown-Séquard syndrome

MedGen UID:
69225
•Concept ID:
C0242644
•
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: Brown-Sequard syndrome; Hemicord syndrome; Hemiparaplegic syndrome; Hemispinal cord syndrome
SNOMED CT: Brown-Sequard syndrome (27982003); Brown-Séquard syndrome (27982003)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0003754

Definition

A disorder caused by a spinal injury leading to an incomplete spinal lesion. Patients develop paralysis, ataxia and loss of sensation. Causes include spinal cord tumors, spinal traumas, ischemia, and inflammatory processes affecting the spine. [from NCI]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVBrown-Séquard syndrome

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Incomplete Spinal Cord Syndromes: Current Incidence and Quantifiable Criteria for Classification.
Engel-Haber E, Botticello A, Snider B, Kirshblum S
J Neurotrauma 2022 Dec;39(23-24):1687-1696. Epub 2022 Jul 21 doi: 10.1089/neu.2022.0196. PMID: 35708116
Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Surgical Treatment of Spontaneous Cervical Intradural Disc Herniations: A Review of the Literature.
Gunasekaran A, de Los Reyes NKM, Walters J, Kazemi N
World Neurosurg 2018 Jan;109:275-284. Epub 2017 Oct 7 doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.09.209. PMID: 29017982
Management of Brown-Sequard syndrome in cervical disc diseases.
Abouhashem S, Ammar M, Barakat M, Abdelhameed E
Turk Neurosurg 2013;23(4):470-5. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.7433-12.0. PMID: 24101266

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Natural history and surgical outcomes of idiopathic spinal cord herniation.
Hirose Y, Nagoshi N, Tsuji O, Kono H, Iida T, Suzuki S, Takahashi Y, Nori S, Yagi M, Matsumoto M, Nakamura M, Watanabe K
Spinal Cord 2023 Aug;61(8):441-446. Epub 2023 Jun 28 doi: 10.1038/s41393-023-00904-3. PMID: 37380759
Incomplete Spinal Cord Syndromes: Current Incidence and Quantifiable Criteria for Classification.
Engel-Haber E, Botticello A, Snider B, Kirshblum S
J Neurotrauma 2022 Dec;39(23-24):1687-1696. Epub 2022 Jul 21 doi: 10.1089/neu.2022.0196. PMID: 35708116
Sulcal artery syndrome: A Three-patient series and review of literature.
Tan YJ, Ng GJ, Yexian Lai J, Narasimhalu K
J Clin Neurosci 2021 Jun;88:47-51. Epub 2021 Mar 31 doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.03.013. PMID: 33992202
Management of Brown-Sequard syndrome in cervical disc diseases.
Abouhashem S, Ammar M, Barakat M, Abdelhameed E
Turk Neurosurg 2013;23(4):470-5. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.7433-12.0. PMID: 24101266
Intramedullary metastasis in breast cancer--a comprehensive literature review.
Rostami R, Safarpour D, Tavassoli FA, Jabbari B
J Neurol Sci 2013 Sep 15;332(1-2):16-20. Epub 2013 Jun 15 doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2013.05.032. PMID: 23778028

Diagnosis

Solving the puzzle of Brown-Séquard syndrome.
Franges EZ
Nursing 2021 Apr 1;51(4):62-66. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000733960.67995.78. PMID: 33759868
Herpes zoster and Brown-Séquard syndrome.
Garbi A, Rauer F, Heckmann JG
Wien Klin Wochenschr 2020 Sep;132(17-18):545-546. Epub 2020 May 5 doi: 10.1007/s00508-020-01664-3. PMID: 32372115
Idiopathic thoracic spinal cord herniation.
Ghali MGZ, Srinivasan VM, Rao VY, Omeis I
J Clin Neurosci 2018 May;51:1-5. Epub 2018 Feb 19 doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2017.10.090. PMID: 29472069
Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Surgical Treatment of Spontaneous Cervical Intradural Disc Herniations: A Review of the Literature.
Gunasekaran A, de Los Reyes NKM, Walters J, Kazemi N
World Neurosurg 2018 Jan;109:275-284. Epub 2017 Oct 7 doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.09.209. PMID: 29017982
Myelopathy: chameleons and mimics.
Ginsberg L
Pract Neurol 2017 Jan;17(1):6-12. Epub 2016 Nov 21 doi: 10.1136/practneurol-2016-001485. PMID: 27872169

Therapy

Thrombolysis for atlantoaxial dislocation mimicking acute ischemic stroke.
Tsou A, Juan YH, Chen TY, Lin SK
Am J Emerg Med 2019 Jun;37(6):1216.e3-1216.e5. Epub 2019 Mar 27 doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2019.03.044. PMID: 30940410
Neurological Involvement in Childhood Evans Syndrome.
Pincez T, Neven B, Le Pointe HD, Varlet P, Fernandes H, Gareton A, Leverger G, Leblanc T, Chambost H, Michel G, Pasquet M, Millot F, Hermine O, Mathian A, Hully M, Zephir H, Hamidou M, Durand JM, Perel Y, Landman-Parker J, Rieux-Laucat F, Aladjidi N
J Clin Immunol 2019 Feb;39(2):171-181. Epub 2019 Jan 22 doi: 10.1007/s10875-019-0594-3. PMID: 30671780
Brown-Séquard syndrome: a rare manifestation of decompression sickness.
Tseng WS, Huang NC, Huang WS, Lee HC
Occup Med (Lond) 2015 Dec;65(9):758-60. Epub 2015 Sep 23 doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqv145. PMID: 26400970
Brown-Sèquard syndrome caused by type III odontoid fracture: a case report and review of the literature.
Wu YT, Ho CW, Chang ST, Chen LC
Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2010 Jan 1;35(1):E27-30. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181ba2a6a. PMID: 20042945
Myelopathy in Sjögren's syndrome: role of nonsteroidal immunosuppressants.
Rogers SJ, Williams CS, Román GC
Drugs 2004;64(2):123-32. doi: 10.2165/00003495-200464020-00001. PMID: 14717615

Prognosis

Incomplete Spinal Cord Syndromes: Current Incidence and Quantifiable Criteria for Classification.
Engel-Haber E, Botticello A, Snider B, Kirshblum S
J Neurotrauma 2022 Dec;39(23-24):1687-1696. Epub 2022 Jul 21 doi: 10.1089/neu.2022.0196. PMID: 35708116
Neurological Involvement in Childhood Evans Syndrome.
Pincez T, Neven B, Le Pointe HD, Varlet P, Fernandes H, Gareton A, Leverger G, Leblanc T, Chambost H, Michel G, Pasquet M, Millot F, Hermine O, Mathian A, Hully M, Zephir H, Hamidou M, Durand JM, Perel Y, Landman-Parker J, Rieux-Laucat F, Aladjidi N
J Clin Immunol 2019 Feb;39(2):171-181. Epub 2019 Jan 22 doi: 10.1007/s10875-019-0594-3. PMID: 30671780
Intramedullary metastasis in breast cancer--a comprehensive literature review.
Rostami R, Safarpour D, Tavassoli FA, Jabbari B
J Neurol Sci 2013 Sep 15;332(1-2):16-20. Epub 2013 Jun 15 doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2013.05.032. PMID: 23778028
Myelopathy in Sjögren's syndrome: role of nonsteroidal immunosuppressants.
Rogers SJ, Williams CS, Román GC
Drugs 2004;64(2):123-32. doi: 10.2165/00003495-200464020-00001. PMID: 14717615
Traumatic cervical Brown-Sequard and Brown-Sequard-plus syndromes: the spectrum of presentations and outcomes.
Roth EJ, Park T, Pang T, Yarkony GM, Lee MY
Paraplegia 1991 Nov;29(9):582-9. doi: 10.1038/sc.1991.86. PMID: 1787982

Clinical prediction guides

Natural history and surgical outcomes of idiopathic spinal cord herniation.
Hirose Y, Nagoshi N, Tsuji O, Kono H, Iida T, Suzuki S, Takahashi Y, Nori S, Yagi M, Matsumoto M, Nakamura M, Watanabe K
Spinal Cord 2023 Aug;61(8):441-446. Epub 2023 Jun 28 doi: 10.1038/s41393-023-00904-3. PMID: 37380759
Sulcal artery syndrome: A Three-patient series and review of literature.
Tan YJ, Ng GJ, Yexian Lai J, Narasimhalu K
J Clin Neurosci 2021 Jun;88:47-51. Epub 2021 Mar 31 doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.03.013. PMID: 33992202
Clinical and Radiographical Differences Between Thoracic Idiopathic Spinal Cord Herniation and Spinal Arachnoid Cyst.
Nakashima H, Imagama S, Yagi H, Kato F, Kanemura T, Sato K, Kawakami N, Kamiya M, Yoshihara H, Ito K, Matsuyama Y, Nishida Y, Ishiguro N
Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2017 Aug 15;42(16):E963-E968. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000002013. PMID: 27926670
Brown-Sequard syndrome after blunt cervical spine trauma: clinical and radiological correlations.
Miranda P, Gomez P, Alday R, Kaen A, Ramos A
Eur Spine J 2007 Aug;16(8):1165-70. Epub 2007 Mar 30 doi: 10.1007/s00586-007-0345-7. PMID: 17394028Free PMC Article
Traumatic cervical Brown-Sequard and Brown-Sequard-plus syndromes: the spectrum of presentations and outcomes.
Roth EJ, Park T, Pang T, Yarkony GM, Lee MY
Paraplegia 1991 Nov;29(9):582-9. doi: 10.1038/sc.1991.86. PMID: 1787982

Recent systematic reviews

Clinical features and outcomes of spinal cord infarction following vertebral artery dissection: a systematic review of the literature.
Hsu CY, Cheng CY, Lee JD, Lee M, Huang YC, Wu CY, Hsu HL, Lin YH, Huang YC, Weng HH, Huang KL
Neurol Res 2013 Sep;35(7):676-83. Epub 2013 Mar 12 doi: 10.1179/1743132813Y.0000000183. PMID: 23562138

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Clinical resources

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.
    • Bookshelf
      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Reviews

    Related information

    • MeSH
      Related Medical Subject Headings
    • PMC Articles
      Related information in PubMed Central Links
    • PubMed
      Related literature resources in PubMed

    Recent activity

    Clear Turn Off Turn On

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...