Pencil is mightier than the sword!
Penetrating injuries involving the spinal cord are not common. The incidence is, however, much higher in armed conflict. In a civilian population, gunshot wounds and stabbings account for the majority of such injuries. A pencil causing penetrating injury involving the spinal cord is very rare. We present the case of a young boy who accidentally suffered a penetrating injury involving the spinal cord from a pencil in his coat pocket.
Ramaswamy
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Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK. ramaswamy_mr@yahoo.co.uk
Dow
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Bassi
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D002648:Child; D003646:Debridement; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013115:Spinal Canal / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000293:injuries*; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*