title: Acute hydrocephalus as a complication of cervical spine fracture and dislocation: a case report.
abstract: Hydrocephalus is a well-known complication of head injury, but an uncommon complication of a spinal lesion. Here, we present a rare case of acute obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to a cervical fracture and dislocation. A 60-year-old female patient was transferred to the emergency department with quadriplegia and respiratory difficulty. Imaging studies showed a cervical fracture and dislocation at the C3-4 level. She required intubation and mechanical ventilation. Twenty-four hours after admission, her mental status had deteriorated and both pupils were dilated. Computed tomography of the brain showed acute hydrocephalus; therefore, extraventricular drainage (EVD) was performed. After the EVD, her mental status recovered and she became alert, but she remained quadriplegic and dependent on the ventilator. Two months after injury, she died because of respiratory failure caused by pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Young
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Il
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Seok Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Cervical; Fracture; Hydrocephalus
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