Case report: surviving a tiger attack.
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Case report: surviving a tiger attack. / Emami, Pedram; Kaiser, Thomas M; Regelsberger, Jan; Goebell, Einar; Fiehler, Jens; Westphal, Manfred; Heese, Oliver.
in: NEUROSURG REV, Jahrgang 35, Nr. 4, 4, 2012, S. 621-624.Publikationen: SCORING: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift/Zeitung › SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz › Forschung › Begutachtung
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Case report: surviving a tiger attack.
AU - Emami, Pedram
AU - Kaiser, Thomas M
AU - Regelsberger, Jan
AU - Goebell, Einar
AU - Fiehler, Jens
AU - Westphal, Manfred
AU - Heese, Oliver
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Attacks on humans by large predators are rare, especially in Northern Europe. In cases of involvement of the craniocervical compartment, most of the attacks are not survived. We report on a case where the patient survived a tiger attack despite severe head trauma and discuss the circumstances leading to the patient's survival and excellent outcome. The patient we report on is a 28-year-old tamer, who was attacked by three tigers during an evening show. A bite to the head resulted in multiple injuries including left-sided skull penetration wounds with dislocated fractures, dural perforations, and brain parenchyma lesions. The patient recovered without neurological deficits after initial ICU treatment. No infection occurred. In order to understand the mechanism of the tiger's bite to the patient's cranium, a simulation of the attack was performed using a human and a tiger skull put together at identical positions to the bite marks in a CT scan. It seems that during the bite, the animal was not able to clamp down on the patient's skull between its canine teeth and therefore reduced bite forces were applied. Survival of an attack by a large predator that targeted the cervical-cranial compartment with an excellent outcome is not described in the literature. We were surprised to find only minor lesions of the brain parenchyma despite the obvious penetration of the skull by the tiger's canines. This seems to be related to the specific dynamics of the cranial assault and the reduced forces applied to the patient's head demonstrated in a 3D bite simulation.
AB - Attacks on humans by large predators are rare, especially in Northern Europe. In cases of involvement of the craniocervical compartment, most of the attacks are not survived. We report on a case where the patient survived a tiger attack despite severe head trauma and discuss the circumstances leading to the patient's survival and excellent outcome. The patient we report on is a 28-year-old tamer, who was attacked by three tigers during an evening show. A bite to the head resulted in multiple injuries including left-sided skull penetration wounds with dislocated fractures, dural perforations, and brain parenchyma lesions. The patient recovered without neurological deficits after initial ICU treatment. No infection occurred. In order to understand the mechanism of the tiger's bite to the patient's cranium, a simulation of the attack was performed using a human and a tiger skull put together at identical positions to the bite marks in a CT scan. It seems that during the bite, the animal was not able to clamp down on the patient's skull between its canine teeth and therefore reduced bite forces were applied. Survival of an attack by a large predator that targeted the cervical-cranial compartment with an excellent outcome is not described in the literature. We were surprised to find only minor lesions of the brain parenchyma despite the obvious penetration of the skull by the tiger's canines. This seems to be related to the specific dynamics of the cranial assault and the reduced forces applied to the patient's head demonstrated in a 3D bite simulation.
KW - Adult
KW - Animals
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Tomography, X-Ray Computed
KW - Conscious Sedation
KW - Neurosurgical Procedures
KW - Bites and Stings/radiography/surgery/therapy
KW - Brain Injuries/radiography/therapy
KW - Craniocerebral Trauma/radiography/surgery/therapy
KW - Intracranial Pressure/physiology
KW - Skull Fractures/radiography/therapy
KW - Tigers
KW - Adult
KW - Animals
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Tomography, X-Ray Computed
KW - Conscious Sedation
KW - Neurosurgical Procedures
KW - Bites and Stings/radiography/surgery/therapy
KW - Brain Injuries/radiography/therapy
KW - Craniocerebral Trauma/radiography/surgery/therapy
KW - Intracranial Pressure/physiology
KW - Skull Fractures/radiography/therapy
KW - Tigers
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
VL - 35
SP - 621
EP - 624
JO - NEUROSURG REV
JF - NEUROSURG REV
SN - 0344-5607
IS - 4
M1 - 4
ER -
