TITLE:
Brown-Sequard Syndrome due to an Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Compression Fracture Associated with Asymptomatic C5 Vertebral Hemangioma —Case Report and Review of the Literature
AUTHORS:
Jesús Rocha-Maguey, Alma Elizabeth Güemez-Torres
KEYWORDS:
Cervical, Hemangioma, Fracture, Brown-Sequard Syndrome
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Neurosurgery,
Vol.16 No.1,
January
6,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Spinal hemangiomas are benign tumors that develop mostly in vertebral bodies but their behavior is uncertain. The thoracic spine is the most frequently affected segment by these lesions, followed by the lumbar and cervical levels. Although the vast majority are asymptomatic, aggressiveness in some cases can cause spinal pain, various neurological compromises or spinal instability. Case Description: We present a case in which a previously asymptomatic male patient suffered a craniocervical trauma that caused a severe compression fracture of C5, which manifested clinically and radiologically as a Brown-Sequard syndrome. Due to intraoperative behavior and surgical findings, the bone fragments and the tissue found within them were histologically analyzed, which confirmed the existence of a capillary hemangioma that considerably involved the vertebral body. The surgical treatment and neurological recovery were adequately evaluated with very good results. Conclusions: Vertebral hemangiomas are considered lesions with a well-defined etiology but an uncertain evolution. The clinical characteristics in the case presented are special due to the development of Brown-Sequard syndrome associated with a severe vertebral fracture that contained a previously undetected vertebral hemangioma that could have influenced the weakening of the fractured vertebral segment. Due to the increasing amount of information about the behavior of these hemangiomas, therapeutic decisions are diverse. Nevertheless, in the case of aggressive hemangiomas, definitive treatment protocols should focus on surgery and total excision of the lesions as a gold standard.