What Researchers Did
Researchers reported a rare case of Brown-Séquard syndrome caused by decompression sickness in a 30-year-old diver.
What They Found
They found a 30-year-old man developed left-sided weakness and numbness after 10 repetitive dives to a maximum depth of 15 meters over 205 minutes. This rare presentation of decompression sickness, Brown-Séquard syndrome, has only been reported six other times in the literature.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian divers should be aware of the risks of decompression sickness before diving. Clinicians should prioritize clinical symptoms over MRI findings when diagnosing spinal cord decompression sickness.
Canadian Relevance
This study does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, this study's findings have limited generalizability to a broader patient population.