Posttraumatic locked-in syndrome from combined brainstem and upper cervical injury in childhood: A case report

Abstract

Locked in syndrome (LIS) is a condition characterized by quadriplegia, lower cranial nerve palsies and mutism in which only vertical eye movements and upper eyelid movements are preserved while the patient's state of consciousness is intact. The most common cause of LIS is pontine infarction after vertebrobasilar system occlusion. We hereby present a case report of LIS secondary to cervicomedullary contusion after head trauma. Due to the possibility of neurological recovery, early and accurate diagnosis is important in posttraumatic nonvascular LIS cases and aggressive neurological and other systemic treatment and early neurological rehabilitaion options should also be eveluated. Neurological rehabilitaion of these ventilator dependent patients is difficult and should be improved.