Survival After a Transcranial Bihemispheric Stabbing with a Knife: Case Report and Literature Review

Low-velocity penetrating brain injuries (PBIs), also referred to as nonmissile brain injuries, typically result from stabbings, industrial or home accidents, or suicide attempts. A great deal of literature has focused on the injury patterns and management strategies of high-velocity PBIs. However, there are substantially fewer large, contemporary studies focused solely on low-velocity PBIs. Here, we present an interesting and uncommon case of a patient who suffered a bihemispheric stab wound involving the basal ganglia. A 22-year-old man presented to the hospital with a stab wound to the left calvarium. His initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 13, but he rapidly declined to a six and was intubated. He was emergently taken to the operating room for craniectomy, knife removal, and external ventricular drain placement. On the first postoperative day, the patient was following commands with all extremities. He was discharged to a rehabilitation facility 13 days postinjury. One year after the injury, the patient was free of major neurologic sequelae. This report illustrates a rare case of a good functional outcome after a transcranial stabbing with multiple imaging and exam findings usually associated with poor outcomes.