A case of spinal epidural hematoma associated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura]

Spinal epidural hematoma is a rare clinical entity, and the literature provides reports of 29 cases so far in Japan. A case of spinal epidural hematoma associated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura diagnosed by CT scan and MRI is reported in detail with references to the literature. A 56-year-old female was admitted to our hospital on April 22, 1990, because of sudden onset of nuchal pain and right hemiparesis. Her consciousness was alert, but the deep tendon reflex was depressed, and pathological reflex such as Babinski's reflex was positive on the right side. Nuchal stiffness was observed. CT scan of the head revealed no abnormality, but the scan of cervical area showed an abnormal high density area in the right posterior region of the spinal cord at C2 - 3 level. MRI also revealed a low intensity area in the same region both in T1 and T2 weighted images. On admission, the platelet count was 10,000/microliters, and the bone marrow aspirate showed abundant megakaryocytes. The patient was diagnosed as having spinal epidural hematoma associated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. The patient was initially treated with a corticosteroid and a hyperosmotic agent. About 15 hours after the onset, her motor function began improving. Conservative therapy was continued, and she could walk 2 weeks after the onset. Spinal epidural hematoma is an uncommon disease commencing with back and radicular pain, paraplegia and rectovesical insufficiency. Early diagnosis and surgical decompression is generally imperative, although an exceptional remission without operation such as was observed in this case may occur.     

Spinal epidural hematoma after a pathologic compression fracture: an unusual presentation of multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Spinal epidural hematoma can result from traumatic and atraumatic etiologies. Atraumatic spinal epidural hematomas have been reported as an initial presentation of multiple myeloma. There are no other reports previously describing spinal epidural hematoma after a pathologic spinal fracture. PURPOSE: To present the first reported case of a spinal epidural hematoma after a pathologic fracture and a very unusual initial presentation of multiple myeloma in a young patient. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Case report. METHODS: A healthy asymptomatic 37-year-old male was struck in the head with a ball while playing soccer. Initial symptoms included severe back pain without neurologic symptoms. Complete motor paralysis developed over the next 24 hours in the lower extremities with a sensory level of T10. Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of the spine revealed a T6 compression fracture with a dorsal T3 to T10 epidural hematoma. The patient underwent surgical T2 to T8 posterior spinal decompression with evacuation of the hematoma. Serum and urine electrophoresis and bone marrow biopsy were performed. RESULTS: The results of the electrophoresis revealed an immunoglobulin A monoclonal spike. The bone marrow biopsy was positive for plasma cell myeloma. Recovery of some motor function was noted in both lower extremities postoperatively. The patient was subsequently started on steroids and chemotherapy for myeloma. The patient has also undergone bone marrow transplant, and his myeloma is currently in remission. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case of spinal epidural hematoma after a pathologic spinal fracture. Also, this case represents an unusual initial presentation of multiple myeloma in a young patient.     

Sudden onset of paraplegia caused by hemorrhagic spinal epidural angiolipoma. A case report

Spinal epidural angiolipoma is a rare benign tumor containing vascular and mature adipose elements. A slow progressive clinical course was mostly presented and rarely a fluctuating course during pregnancy. The authors report the original case of spontaneous spinal epidural bleeding resulting from thoracic epidural angiolipoma who presented with hyperacute onset of paraplegia, simulating an extradural hematoma. The patient was admitted with sudden non-traumatic hyperacute paraplegia during a prolonged walk. Neurologic examination showed sensory loss below T6 and bladder disturbances. Spinal MRI revealed a non-enhanced heterogeneous thoracic epidural lesion, extending from T2 to T3. A bilateral T2–T4 laminectomy was performed to achieve resection of a lipomatous tumor containing area of spontaneous hemorrhage. The postoperative course was uneventful with complete neurologic recovery. Histologic examination revealed the tumor as an angiolipoma. Because the prognosis after rapid surgical management of this lesion is favorable, the diagnosis of spinal angiolipoma with bleeding should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hyperacute spinal cord compression.

     

Spinal epidural hematoma. Report of a case and review of the literature

We report the case of a thoracic epidural hematoma at the T7-T9 level which occurred after placement of spinal epidural catheter for continuous anaesthesia in acute pancreatitis. The male patient felt a sudden back pain after six days of successful analgesia and became paraplegic 24 hours afterwards. An emergency laminectomy and removal of the hematoma were performed; however, the patient recovered only incompletely.We discuss the clinical signs and symptoms of spinal epidural hematoma as well as its diagnostics and therapy. The controversial views from the literature concernings its etiology are critically reviewed.     

Lumbar spinal epidural hematoma after chiropractic manipulation: A case report

Lumbar epidural hematoma is a very rare condition and can cause permanent neurological deficit needing urgent investigation and prompt intervention. We present here a case of lumbar epidural hematoma after chiropractic manipulation therapy for low back pain without any obvious predisposing factor. A fairly healthy and lively 72-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of grade 4 paresis after chiropractic manipulation therapy. She had no history of anticoagulation therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a spinal epidural hematoma with dural sac compression at the level of L3–L4. Rapid decompression of the spinal channel was performed. On follow-up 4 weeks after surgery, the patient was fully ambulatory and complained only of slight pain at the surgical site. MRI is the most useful method for diagnosing spinal epidural hematoma, the appropriate treatment for patients with neurological deficits being surgical decompression. Practitioners of chiropractic manipulation therapy should be aware of spinal epidural hematoma as a possible complication and should exercise caution in subgroups of patients on antithrombotic medication. Spinal epidural hematoma is a potentially reversible cause of neurological deterioration if diagnosed early and treated promptly.     

Acute non-traumatic extensive subdural spinal hematoma

Acute spinal subdural hematoma is a somewhat rare pathology. Its severity comes from the constitution of an acute spinal cord compression. In many cases MRI is useful for the differential diagnosis with the epidural hematoma. A 79-year-old patient was referred for emergency neurosurgery for acute spinal cord compression. The vascular risk in this patient was significant: hypertension, oral anticoagulants. Clinically, acute non-traumatic subdural spinal hematoma was suspected. The spinal cord MRI was in favor of the diagnosis which was confirmed intraoperatively. The surgical procedure revealed an extensive hematoma which infiltrated the spinal cord. The diagnosis of nontraumatic subdural spinal hematoma may be difficult in some cases and correctly established only during the surgical procedure. In comparison with reports in the literature, we discuss the underlying mechanisms of this hematoma. Spinal subdural haematoma must be considered in patients taking anticoagulant therapy or with a coagulation disorder who present signs of acute spinal cord compression. MRI sagittal T1 and T2-weighted images are adequate and reliable for diagnosis of spinal subdural hematoma. Prompt surgical evacuation of this hematoma is crucial.     

Spinal epidural hematoma following epidural catheter removal in a paraplegic patient

Spinal epidural hematoma is a rare and devastating complication of epidural catheter removal in an anticoagulated patient. The diagnosis could be quite challenging, especially in patients with preexisting neurological deficits. A 35-year-old patient with remote spinal cord injury and T4 level paraplegia developed a spinal epidural hematoma on the 7th postoperative day. The hematoma developed after epidural catheter removal with concurrent administration of unfractionated heparin.     

Epidural hematoma after an epidural block in a patient with no coagulopathy

We report a case of epidural hematoma after a single epidural block. The patient was a 67-year-old woman with sciatica and osteoarthritis of the spine. She had no coagulopathy. She underwent a single epidural block without difficulty 3 times in 5 days. She had a lumbar MRI for an examination of the spine 4 days after the final epidural block. Subacute epidural hematoma of 0.8 x 1.5 x 3.0 cm was revealed on MRI at L 3-4. She had no new neurological symptoms. MRI 1 month later revealed a resolution of the hematoma. Epidural hematoma after an epidural block might occur in an outpatient with no bleeding tendency.     

自发性脊髓硬膜外和硬膜下血肿

目的 探讨自发性脊髓硬膜外血肿（SSEH)及硬膜下血肿(SSSH)的病因、临床特点、诊治方法及预后相关因素。方法 自1995～2002年收治的4例SSEH及2例SSSH患者．均在静息或轻微活动后发病，发病前均无感染或服药史，其中1例63岁患者诉有高血压病史．1例65岁患者入院检查后发现患有Ⅱ型精尿病．余均否认患有其他疾病。所有患者均表现为突发性的颈、肩、胸、背部疼痛，数分钟到数小时内出现肢体运动、感觉障碍、大小便障碍及潴留，5例患者有抻经根放射痛症状．有3例行腰穿，压力无明显增高．均行手术治疗．手术距发病时间10～16d．平均12.5d，手术均在局麻下进行．4例SSEH患者行患部全椎板切除血肿清除术．2例SSSH患者行全椎板切除并硬静膜切开血肿清除，硬脊膜修补术。结果 均经MR检查、手术及病理证实。MRI显示椎管后方或后外方占位性病变，T1加权能特征性地反映血肿随时间发生的信号变化而最有价值．T22加权可很好地判断血肿的位置，患者预后与术前的神经功能状态及发病至手术的时间密切相关，本组患者随访6～18个月，平均10个月．6例患者除大、小便功能有不同程度的改善外．5例患者肢体的运动、感觉功能无明显恢复，1例SSSH患者感觉消失平面下降，右上肢肌力较前增强，结论 自发性脊髓硬膜外及硬膜下血肿是一种少见病，MRI是其首选的检查方法，应当注意的是早期诊断并及时手术是治疗SSEH和SSSH．防止永久性神经功能障碍的关健。     

Spontaneous recovery from a spinal epidural hematoma with atypical presentation in a nonagenarian

PURPOSE: Spinal epidural hematoma following epidural anesthesia is extraordinarily rare in association with low-dose sc heparin, and the prognosis for neurologic recovery without rapid surgical decompression poor. We report a case of spinal epidural hematoma in a nonagenarian who received low-dose sc unfractionated heparin postoperatively in accordance with standard guidelines, presented with no back pain, and made full neurologic recovery without surgical intervention. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 90-yr-old female with gastric adenocarcinoma presented for subtotal gastrectomy. Her past medical history and physical examination were largely unremarkable and she had no bleeding diathesis. She took no medications other than preoperative ranitidine, and had a normal coagulation profile. A thoracic epidural catheter was placed uneventfully before induction of general anesthesia. Postoperatively, low-dose sc unfractionated heparin was started 12 hr after the epidural catheter insertion. On postoperative day two, the patient developed flaccid lower extremity paralysis and paresthesia without back pain. Her coagulation profile remained normal. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging showed a large epidural hematoma extending from T3 to T11. With conservative treatment and no surgery, the patient slowly made full neurologic recovery and was discharged home on postoperative day 56. CONCLUSION: Complete neurologic recovery from flaccid paralysis following spinal epidural hematoma occurred without surgical decompression in a nonagenarian. Low-dose sc heparin may be a greater risk factor for spinal epidural hematoma than previously assumed, and the absence of back pain does not rule out this diagnosis.     

Epidural hematoma after epidural block: implications for its use in pain management

BACKGROUND: Spinal epidural hematoma after spinal puncture such as for injection of steroids for pain management may result in a rare complication of a spinal epidural hematoma causing acute myelopathy. Although this complication is well known with epidural anesthesia, where it is usually seen with impaired hemostasis, there are surprisingly few case reports of epidural hematoma after an epidural steroid block. CASE DESCRIPTION: A healthy 34-year-old man with no evidence of coagulopathy and not taking antiplatelet medication suddenly had onset of acute cervical myelopathy from a large cervical epidural hematoma 8 days after a cervical epidural steroid block. Following prompt surgical evacuation of the clot, the patient made a near complete recovery. CONCLUSION: Spinal epidural hematoma after spinal puncture is usually associated with impaired hemostasis. This case illustrates that it may occur in the absence of known risk factors. The delayed onset and the absence of risk factors have implications for the use of this procedure in chronic pain management.     

Spinal epidural hematoma following removal of incorrectly placed jugular central venous catheter

The authors report a rare case of iatrogenic spinal epidural hematoma associated with central venous catheter cannulation via the right internal jugular vein. This 59-year-old man was operated on for stomach cancer while under general anesthesia. A central venous line was inserted via the right internal jugular vein. The operation was completed uneventfully and postoperative fluid replacement was continued without interruption. On postoperative Day 2, marked swelling around the right side of his neck gradually worsened. Cervical CT demonstrated that the catheter tip of the central venous line had penetrated the jugular vein and entered the intervertebral foramen (C5-6), thereby reaching the spinal epidural space. The patient was immediately transported to the operating room and the catheter was carefully extracted under fluoroscopy. Several minutes after catheter removal, the patient complained of sudden severe back pain and over time developed mild paraparesis of both lower extremities. Urgent MR imaging of the spine revealed a large spinal epidural hematoma extending from C-1 to T-8 that was compressing the dorsal spinal cord. The patient underwent emergency surgical removal of the epidural hematoma as well as spinal cord decompression with a T1-4 laminectomy. After surgery, the patient showed full recovery of his lower-extremity motor function.     

Refractory chronic subdural hematoma due to spontaneous intracranial hypotension

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is reported to cause chronic subdurai hematoma (SDH), however diagnosis of SIH in patients with SDH is not always easy. We report a case of chronic SDH refractory to repeated drainage, which was attributed to SIH. A forty-five-year-old man who had been suffering from orthostatic headache for one month was admitted to our hospital presenting with unconsciousness and hemiparesis. CT on admission revealed a chronic subdural hematoma, which was successfully treated once with subdural drainage. However, the patient fell into unconscious again with recurrence of the hematoma within several days. After two more sessions of drainage, SIH due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage was diagnosed with spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radionuclide cisternography. Spinal MRI demonstrated abnormal fluid accumulation in the thoracic epidural space, and the radionuclide cisternogram showed early excretion of tracer into urine as well as absence of intracranial tracer filling. After treatment with epidural blood patching, the hematoma rapidly disappeared and he was discharged without symptoms. In the treatment of chronic SDH, especially in young to middle aged patient without preceding trauma or hematological disorders, physicians should pay attention to underlying SIH to avoid multiple surgery. MRI of the spine as well as radionuclide cisternography is useful in evaluation of this condition.     

Acute idiopathic spinal subdural hematoma: What to do in an emergency?

Acute spinal cord compression usually results from trauma, infection, or cancer. Spinal subdural hematoma is an uncommon cause of spinal cord compression that occurs after spine trauma or spinal invasive procedure, especially in context of coagulopathy. In the following reported case, an 82-year-old woman with a history of rapidly progressive paraparesis after a sudden middle back pain, with no previous trauma or coagulopathy, due to an acute spontaneous spinal subdural hematoma. In fact, the main difficulty was to determine, in an emergency situation, the right strategy to identify both the lesion and its cause to adapt therapeutics. This case not only provides an illustrative unusual condition in an emergency department but also a challenging discussion to choose the right treatment for a sudden neurological impairment. According to a literature review of the idiopathic cases of spinal subdural hematomas without coagulopathy, the clinical outcome depends on severity of neurological impairment. MRI is the main examination to perform in an emergency. Thus surgical evacuation should be performed in emergency in patients presenting with severe neurological impairment.     

Epidural hematoma following epidural catheter placement in a patient with chronic renal failure

PURPOSE: We report a case of epidural hematoma in a surgical patient with chronic renal failure who received an epidural catheter for postoperative analgesia. Symptoms of epidural hematoma occurred about 60 hr after epidural catheter placement. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 58-yr-old woman with a history of chronic renal failure was admitted for elective abdominal cancer surgery. Preoperative laboratory values revealed anemia, hematocrit 26%, and normal platelet, PT and PTT values. General anesthesia was administered for surgery, along with epidural catheter placement for postoperative analgesia. Following uneventful surgery, the patient completed an uneventful postoperative course for 48 hr. Then, the onset of severe low back pain, accompanied by motor and sensory deficits in the lower extremities, alerted the anesthesia team to the development of an epidural hematoma extending from T12 to L2 with spinal cord compression. Emergency decompressive laminectomy resulted in recovery of moderate neurologic function. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first case of epidural hematoma formation in a surgical patient with chronic renal failure (CRF) and epidural postoperative analgesia. The only risk factor for the development of epidural hematoma was a history of CRF High-risk patients should be monitored closely for early signs of cord compression such as severe back pain, motor or sensory deficits. An opioid or opioid/local anesthetic epidural solution, rather than local anesthetic infusion alone, may allow continuous monitoring of neurological function and be a prudent choice in high-risk patients. If spinal hematoma is suspected, immediate MRI or CT scan should be done and decompressive laminectomy performed without delay.     

Spontaneous acute thoracic epidural hematoma causing paraplegia in a patient with severe preeclampsia in early labor

This is a case of acute spontaneous thoracic epidural hematoma in a laboring patient at term who presented with severe preeclampsia and acute spinal cord compression, paraplegia, and sensory loss below T8. In early labor, at home, the patient experienced sudden lumbar back pain that progressed to mid-scapular pain leading to paraplegia and T8 sensory loss within one hour of onset of pain. Her symptoms were caused by a spontaneous thoracic epidural hematoma. Upon arrival at the first hospital, the correct presumptive diagnosis was made in the emergency room, magnesium sulfate was administered, and the patient was transferred to our medical center. Her hypertension was not treated despite severe preeclampsia in order to maintain spinal cord perfusion pressure. Following cesarean section under general anesthesia, thoracic laminectomy was performed and an epidural hematoma compressing the spinal cord to 2-3 mm was evacuated 13 h after the onset of symptoms. After approximately three months of paraplegia, five months with quad-walker and cane use, the patient can now walk with a cane or other minimal support but has remaining bowel and bladder problems. The conflicting anesthetic management objectives of severe preeclampsia and acute paraplegia secondary to spinal epidural hematoma required compromise in the management of her preeclampsia in order to preserve spinal cord perfusion.     

Spinal epidural hematoma after removal of an epidural catheter: case report and review of the literature

We report a case of spinal epidural hematoma after removal of an epidural catheter. The patient had no background of anticoagulant therapy or coagulopathy; sudden severe back pain occurred immediately after removal of the catheter. The chance of this occurring is estimated to be between 1:150,000 and 1:190,000. We studied 40 previous reports from 1952 to 2000, and we also investigated anticoagulant therapy and pathologic states, puncture difficulties and bleeding at the point of insertion, and its onset. In 23 cases (57.5%), anticoagulant therapy had been performed, and in 5 cases (12.5%), coagulopathy or liver dysfunction had been recognized. In 20 cases (50%), the initial symptoms were recognized within 24 hours after removal of the epidural catheter. Although spinal epidural hematoma is a very rare condition, it is a serious complication of continuous epidural anesthesia.     

Spinal epidural hematoma associated with streptokinase treatment for myocardial infarction

STUDY DESIGN: Case Report. OBJECTIVE: Thrombolytic therapy has become a routine and valuable care for selected patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and rarely complicates with spinal epidural hemorrhage causing cord compression. SETTING: Elazig, Turkey CASE REPORT: A 72-year-old woman developed spinal epidural hemorrhage following streptokinase and heparin administration for AMI. Back pain and lower extremity neurologic deficits ensued secondary to spinal cord compression by epidural hematoma. Diagnosis of spinal epidural hematoma, extending through T11 to L2 vertebra levels, could be accurately made by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Careful follow-up by neurologic examination, reversal of anticoagulant effects, anti-edema treatment with steroids and a low-intensity rehabilitation program maintained a full recovery. Follow-up MRI, 3 months after the accident, revealed complete resolution of the hematoma. CONCLUSION: Physicians should be aware of this rare complication secondary to thrombolytic therapy. A high index of suspicion for hemorrhagic complications is necessary, particularly in elderly patients under thrombolytic treatment regardless of spinal pain, and the patient's lethargic or confused status should be taken into account. MRI is a valuable imaging option that gives information on both localization and extent of lesion and recovery.     

Spontaneous epidural hematoma due to cervico-thoracic angiolipoma

Epidural angiolipomas are uncommon benign tumors of the spine. Their clinical presentation is usually a progressive spinal cord compression. We report the case of a 22-year-old patient who presented with an acute paraparesis and a spontaneous epidural hematoma, which revealed a epidural angiolipoma which extended from C7 to T3. The patient underwent a C7–T3 laminectomy, in emergency, with evacuation of the hematoma and extradural complete resection of a fibrous epidural tumor bleeding. The postoperative course was favorable with regression of neurological symptoms. Epidural angiolipomas can be revealed by spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage without traumatism. The standard treatment is total removal by surgery.     

A case of acute spinal epidural hematoma in a patient with antiplatelet therapy

The authors report a case of acute spinal epidural hematoma occurring in a patient receiving antiplatelet drugs. A 76-year-old man with a history of cerebral infarction had been taking antiplatelet agents for one year. He suddenly developed severe back pain which woke him from sleep, and numbness of his lower extremities was then noted. He was hospitalized 15 hours later. Neurological examination revealed flaccid paralysis of both lower extremities with negative Babinski's reflex, and sensory disturbance below the level of L1. The bleeding time and prothrombin time were prolonged. Computed tomographic (CT) scan revealed a biconvex, relatively hyperdense mass in the posterior spinal canal at the level of T12. Metrizamide myelography disclosed an incomplete blockage caused by an epidural mass at the level of T11. Post-myelographic CT scan demonstrated a sharply demarcated extradural filling defect at the level of T11. Seventeen hours after the onset of symptoms, an emergency laminectomy was performed extending from T12 to L3, and the epidural clot was totally evacuated. Histological examination of the capsule of the hematoma revealed no vascular anomalies. The patient made a good postoperative recovery. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of spontaneous intraspinal hemorrhage in a patient taking antiplatelet drugs. Acute onset of persistent pain anywhere along the spinal axis and the development of spinal neurological deficits in a patient on antiplatelet therapy should raise the suspicion of a spinal epidural hematoma. It should be stressed that prompt neuroradiological diagnosis and rapid surgical decompression are essential to allow good recovery. The present case illustrates that neurological emergencies can occur in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy.