Neurological sequelae following a high voltage electrical burn

Neurological complications secondary to electrical injury can manifest themselves either early or late. A small percentage of these patients develop delayed peripheral neuropathy. However, patients experiencing transient spinal cord symptoms have been described. We describe the development of a lower motor neurone syndrome affecting all the limbs in a patient following a significant electrical injury, which although expected to cause spinal cord necrosis showed no evidence of this on magnetic resonance imaging. The fact that neurophysiology was unable to localize the problem made this case all the more perplexing. Similar cases reported in the literature are discussed.