Brown-Sequard Syndrome eMedicine Emergency

Description: Brown-Séquard syndrome is an incomplete spinal cord lesion characterized by a clinical picture reflecting hemisection of the spinal cord, often in the cervical cord region. It was first described in the 1840s after Dr. Charles Edouard Brown-Sequard sectioned half of the spinal cord. It is a rare syndrome, consisting of ipsilateral hemiplegia with contralateral pain and temperature sensation deficits because of the crossing of the fibers of the spinothalamic tract.
Michael S Beeson, MD Updated: Dec 17, 2008