Abstract
The authors report a case of stab wound of the neck caused by penetrating and retaining glass fragments, and resulting in delayed onset of Horner syndrome and C 5 radiculopathy on the left. A 31-year-old man had been injured by a stab in his neck after thrusting his head through a glass door. The external wound appeared clear, and it was simply closed on the initial visit. Three days after the injury, the patient felt dysesthesia of the left shoulder and difficulty in abduction of his left upper arm. He was therefore referred to our hospital. On admission, he complained of neck and left shoulder pain. Neurological examination revealed sensory-motor radiculopathy at the left C 5 level and Horner syndrome. Cervical CT scanning disclosed many glass fragments retained in the wound adjacent to the vertebra. These foreign bodies were considered to have penetrated through the left sternocleidomastoid muscle, passing just behind the common carotid artery and stuck to the transverse process of the C 5 vertebral body adjacent to the vertebral artery. All glass pieces were removed on the day of admission, and symptoms improved. The mechanism of the delayed onset of Horner syndrome and C 5 radiculopathy caused by retained glass fragment of the neck is discussed.
