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Stroke, Vol 24, 903-905, Copyright © 1993 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Electric injury with cerebral venous thrombosis. Case report and review of the literature

A Patel and R Lo
Department of Medicine, McMaster University Medical Centre, Hamilton, Canada.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A case of accidental electrocution with previously unreported arteriographic evidence of cerebral vein thrombosis is presented. A brief description of early and late neurological complications and current theories attempting to explain the histopathological findings of electric injury are reviewed. The occurrence and persistence of late neurological complications are elucidated. CASE DESCRIPTION: A report of an accidental electrocution with 800 V of alternating current in a young man is presented. Cerebral angiography showed a cerebral vein thrombosis. The immediate complications included loss of consciousness, confusion, memory loss, and headache. Late complications of right-sided clumsiness, sensory loss, hemianopsia, and neglect persisted for more than 1 year despite the brain being outside the current pathway. CONCLUSIONS: High-voltage electric injury may cause cerebral vein thrombosis with significant early and delayed brain injury even when the brain lies outside the current pathway.