Chronic Brain-Dead Patients Who Exhibit Lazarus Sign

Lazarus sign, a complex reflex movement of the upper limbs after brain death, is a rare occurrence. We report two patients who showed a Lazarus sign following a diagnosis of brain death. It has been accepted that cardiac arrest usually occurs within 1 week after brain death; however, the two patients described herein survived for over 100 days after brain death was diagnosed. This report is intended to examine the relationship between the Lazarus sign and long-term survival after brain death, as well as to share our rare experience.