Combined anterior and posterior shoulder dislocation as a manifestation of a brain tumour


Published online: Dec 27 2004

Ioannis TSIONOS, Theophilos KARAHALIOS, Aristeidis H. ZIBIS, Konstantinos N. MALIZOS

From the Academic Hospital of the University of Thessalia, School of Medicine, Larisa, Greece

Abstract

Seizures are sometimes the first manifestation of a brain tumour. They may give rise to shoulder fractures or fracture-dislocations. When bilateral, these lesions tend to be symmetrical. The patient reported here suffered from a previously undiagnosed brain tumour, the first manifestation of which were seizures, which provoked a bilateral shoulder dislocation in opposite directions. The posterior dislocation was recognized with a delay of 16 days. After an episode of seizures, shoulder dislocation can occur in either direction, and bilateral shoulder dislocations may not be symmetrical.