Abstract
Seventeen cases are reported in which fatal subarachnoid haemorrhage was associated with injury to the upper cervical region. Most of these cases were alcohol-intoxicated, most had sustained their injuries in an altercation, and death was usually but not invariably rapid. It is proposed that trauma to the upper cervical region can cause subarachnoid haemorrhage, by a mechanism involving tracking of blood into the subarachnoid space from a damaged vertebral artery or one of its branches.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Barry K. J., Scott R. M. Effect of intravenous ethanol on cerebral vasospasm produced by subarachnoid blood. Stroke. 1979 Sep-Oct;10(5):535–537. doi: 10.1161/01.str.10.5.535. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cameron J. M., Mant A. K. Fatal subarachnoid haemorrhage associated with cervical trauma. Med Sci Law. 1972 Jan;12(1):66–70. doi: 10.1177/002580247201200108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Contostavlos D. L. Massive subarachnoid hemorrhage due to laceration of the vertebral artery associated with fracture of the transverse process of the atlas. J Forensic Sci. 1971 Jan;16(1):40–56. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hillbom M., Kaste M. Does alcohol intoxication precipitate aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1981 Jun;44(6):523–526. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.44.6.523. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Simonsen J. Fatal subarachnoid haemorrhage in relation to minor head injuries. J Forensic Med. 1967 Oct-Dec;14(4):146–155. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Simonsen J. Massive subarachnoid haemorrhage and fracture of the transverse process of the atlas. Med Sci Law. 1976 Jan;16(1):13–16. doi: 10.1177/002580247601600105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]