A case of iatrogenic acute spinal cord injury with tetraplegia following thyroid surgery

Dacheng Lv; Chunyan Wu; Dening Qiu; Renhua Huang

doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2024.104305

A case of iatrogenic acute spinal cord injury with tetraplegia following thyroid surgery

Am J Otolaryngol. 2024 Apr 19;45(4):104305. doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2024.104305. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Dacheng Lv¹, Chunyan Wu², Dening Qiu³, Renhua Huang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Spinal Surgery, Yancheng Branch of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China.
² Department of Neurology, Yancheng Branch of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China.
³ Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Yancheng Branch of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China.
⁴ Department of Spinal Surgery, Yancheng Branch of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China. Electronic address: 1185603395@qq.com.

PMID: 38653085
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2024.104305

Abstract

Aim: Iatrogenic acute spinal cord injury with tetraplegia is a serious consequence of non-spinal surgery.We report a case of acute spinal cord injury with tetraplegia after thyroid surgery.

Method: The patient was pathologically diagnosed with papillary carcinoma, underwent left thyroidectomy, and developed tetraplegia after surgery.

Result: The patient was diagnosed with acute spinal cord injury with tetraplegia and cured after anti-inflammatory and dehydrating treatment.

Conclusion: Iatrogenic spinal cord injuries after elective non-spinal surgery can have catastrophic consequences, and clinicians must be alert to this possibility in clinical practice.

Keywords: Iatrogenic acute spinal cord injury; Non-spinal surgery; Tetraplegia.

Publication types

Case Reports