Brown-Séquard syndrome secondary to spontaneous bleed from postradiation cavernous angiomas

Abstract

The spontaneous occurrence of acute Brown-Séquard syndrome is an extremely rare event, with most reported cases being secondary to spontaneous epidural hematomas and spinal cord ischemia. We report a rare case of Brown-Séquard syndrome from spontaneous intraspinal hemorrhage in a patient with multiple cavernous angiomas in the spinal cord secondary to craniospinal radiation in childhood. Postulated mechanisms leading to the condition include postradiation molecular changes and venous occlusion.