Spinal accessory mononeuropathy following posterior fossa decompression surgery

• Published in: Acta neurologica Scandinavica Vol. 105; no. 4; pp. 326 - 329
• Main Authors: Rescigno, J. A., Felice, K. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing 01.04.2002; Blackwell
• Subjects: Accessory Nerve - physiopathology; Accessory Nerve Diseases - etiology; Accessory Nerve Diseases - physiopathology; Accessory Nerve Injuries; Adult; Arnold-Chiari Malformation - surgery; Arnold–Chiari malformation; Biological and medical sciences; Cranial nerves. Peripheral nerves. Autonomic nervous system; cranial neuropathy; Decompression, Surgical - adverse effects; Electromyography; Humans; Iatrogenic Disease; Male; Malformations of the nervous system; Medical sciences; Mononeuropathies - etiology; Mononeuropathies - physiopathology; Nerve Regeneration; Neurology; Neurosurgery; Occipital Lobe - surgery; spinal accessory nerve; suboccipital decompression; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; surgical complication; Human; Postoperative; Nervous system diseases; Iatrogenic; Congenital disease; Trauma; Spinal nerve; Cerebral disorder; Case study; Arnold Chiari malformation; Accessory; Malformation; Surgery; Surgical decompression; Central nervous system disease; Complication
• ISSN: 0001-6314; 1600-0404
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2002.1c218.x

Isolated injury of the spinal accessory nerve is a well‐recognized complication of surgeries involving the posterior triangle of the neck. The procedures most commonly implicated are lymph node biopsy and carotid endarterectomy. We present a patient with isolated injury to the spinal accessory nerve, localized proximal to the innervation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, which was noted following suboccipital decompression for an Arnold–Chiari malformation. To our knowledge, this association has not been previously reported.