Very rare incidence of ascending paralysis in a patient of traumatic spinal cord injury: a case report

This case report discusses a rare complication after spinal cord injury where the neurological level worsens, moving upwards by more than four segments from the initial injury level. The patient, a 22-year-old male, initially had a spinal cord injury at the T12 level, which progressed to T4 and then T2 within a few weeks after surgery. Despite investigations and treatment, the exact cause of this ascending paralysis remained unclear, highlighting the challenges in understanding and managing such rare occurrences.

• 1
  The patient experienced a rapid progression of neurological level, ascending more than four segments from T12 to T2 within a few weeks post-surgery.
• 2
  MRI revealed long segment diffuse hyperintensity extending from T6 level to conus medullaris, affecting almost the entire section of cord with mild thickening of the affected cord.
• 3
  Standard rehabilitation protocol, including strengthening exercises and mobility training, led to improvement in the patient's functional independence measure score from 66 to 98.