Case: A 64-year-old female was found lying by a river. She was unconscious and her lower body was under water. The patient was transported to the emergency room of our hospital. On arrival, her rectal temperature was 24.6°C. We immediately started rewarming and artificial respiration. Five days after admission, rewarming was completed and she became conscious and could communicate. Initially, she had been injured and examination showed paraplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging of her cervical spine showed no findings indicating bony or ligament injury, but there was a T2 high intensity area at C5/6 and C6/7 levels. The patient was diagnosed with spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality.
Outcome: At 5 months post-injury, the patient was able to walk without crutches.
Conclusion: Spinal cord injury might be missed if there are no radiographic abnormalities. Spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality should be considered as a differential diagnosis of accidental hypothermia.
Keywords: Accidental hypothermia; severe hypothermia; spinal cord injury; spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality; trauma.