Study design: Case report.
Objective: To report an uncommon case of cerebral hemorrhage due to autonomic dysreflexia (AD) in a spinal cord injury (SCI) patient.
Setting: Institut Guttmann, Neurorehabilitation Hospital in Barcelona, Spain.
Case report: An SCI patient developed AD due to urinary tract infection after surgery for a pressure sore. The hypertension was difficult to control and the case progressed to hypertensive encephalopathy. MRI of the brain was performed showing a hemorrhagic lesion on the left occipital area. The hypertension was finally controlled and the neurological status improved although with some cognitive deficits.
Conclusion: This is an uncommon case of cerebral hemorrhage due to AD, showing the importance of an adequate diagnosis and treatment of AD to avoid this life-threatening complication.