Lightning strike and lesions outside the brain: Clinical cases and a review of the literature

• Published in: Revue neurologique Vol. 171; no. 1; pp. 75 - 80
• Main Authors: Morin, A, Lesourd, A, Cabane, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Humans; Lightning; Lightning Injuries - complications; Lightning Injuries - diagnosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Paraplegia - diagnosis; Paraplegia - etiology; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - diagnosis; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Spinal Cord Injuries - diagnosis; Spinal Cord Injuries - etiology; Young Adult; Myelopathy; Peripheral nerve; Plexopathie; Plexopathy; Keraunoneurosis; Motoneurone; Myélopathie; Keraunoparalysie; Motor neuron; Nerf périphérique; Lightning strike; Foudre
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2014.08.001
• ISSN: 0035-3787

Every year, 240,000 people are struck by lightning worldwide, causing injuries leading to significant handicaps. Most of the symptoms involve brain lesions; neuromuscular sequelae and myelopathy are less common. We describe five cases of patients struck by lightning with various clinical presentations. The first patient presented painful paresthesias in both upper limbs that disappeared 18 months later; the injury was a plexopathy. The second patient developed proximal weakness in the upper-left limb due to a myopathy. Two patients presented with various motor weaknesses in the lower limbs due to motor neuron disease and myelopathy. The last patient had a transient tetraplegy, which resolved in 5minutes; the diagnosis was keraunoparalysis. Lightning injuries can have many consequences depending on the different mechanisms involved. The clinical presentation is often due to a very focal lesion without any secondary extension. Motor neuron disease probably results from post-traumatic myelopathy. We discuss the ALS-electrocution association, frequently described in the literature. Various peripheral nerve and spinal cord lesions can be seen in lightning strike victims involving myelopathy, motor neuron, muscle and plexus. Clinical syndromes are often atypical but outcome is often favorable.