Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma accounts for most cases of spinal epidural hematoma,
but very few cases of recurrent spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma have been published
to date. We herein report a case of a 20-year-old man who presented with 10-day history
of pain in the interscapular region, followed by paraparesis and sensory loss below
umbilicus along with urinary retention. The patient gave history of 2 similar episodes
in the last 3 months, with complete spontaneous recovery. His magnetic resonance imaging
of dorsal spine was suggestive of subacute spinal epidural hematoma. On reviewing
previous 2 magnetic resonance images of dorsal spine, it was apparent that the patient
had recurrent hematoma at the same site. Thus, a provisional diagnosis of recurrent
spontaneous spinal hematoma at the level of upper dorsal spine was kept and was managed
accordingly. Patient with recurrent spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma should be
educated about the nature of the disease and advised to consult a neurosurgeon as
early as possible in case of a relapse, so that they can undergo surgical management
preferably within 8 hours and not later than 36 hours.
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References
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: January 09, 2014
Accepted:
December 31,
2013
Received:
December 24,
2013
Footnotes
☆We received no grant for this case.
☆☆There is no financial and intellectual conflict of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.