Successful treatment of focal hand dystonia after cervical whiplash injury by thalamotomy

This case report discusses a rare condition: focal hand dystonia (abnormal, involuntary movements and postures of the hand) that developed after a whiplash injury to the neck. The patient was successfully treated with a surgical procedure called thalamotomy, which involves creating a small lesion in a specific area of the brain (thalamus) to interrupt the abnormal signals causing the dystonia. The report suggests that this type of thalamotomy (Vo-Vim thalamotomy) can be an effective treatment option for focal hand dystonia that occurs after a whiplash injury when other treatments are not effective.

• 1
  The patient experienced significant improvement in hand function and was able to maintain her normal physical routine for eight years following the second surgery (Vo-Vim thalamotomy).
• 2
  Vo-Vim thalamotomy may be a feasible and effective treatment for peripheral posttraumatic dystonia.
• 3
  The case suggests that Vo-Vim thalamotomy can be considered as an option to treat focal hand dystonia after cervical whiplash injury.