The best way to treat spinal cord injuries caused by gunshot wounds (GSW) is highly debatable. The trajectory of the bullet is also linked to clinical outcomes, with paralysis being more common in patients with intraspinal bullet fragments. As a result of bullet migration in the spinal canal, patients may present years later with the development of neurological deficits. The most recent literature on this subject supports conservative care because of the lack of evidence showing that surgical treatment improves the results and the high complication rate associated with surgery.
Figure 1. Causes of spinal cord injuries. However, a subset of injury types, including cauda equina injury, have shown superior neurological recovery after surgical decompression and bullet removal compared to conservative therapy. We present a case of a patient who developed cauda equina symptoms as a result…
