Open AccessSpontaneous cervical epidural hematoma: Report of a case managed conservatively
Author(s) -
T A Halim,
Vishal Nigam,
Vikas Tandon,
HS Chhabra
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
indian journal of orthopaedics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.434
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1998-3727
pISSN - 0019-5413
DOI - 10.4103/0019-5413.41863
Subject(s) - medicine , surgery , epidural hematoma , hematoma , presentation (obstetrics) , epidural space , spinal cord compression , sensory loss , anesthesia , spinal cord , neck pain , spinal cord injury , alternative medicine , pathology , psychiatry
Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is a rare cause of acute spinal cord compression. A 25-year-old male presented with a history of sudden onset of complete quadriplegia with sensory loss below the neck along with loss of bowel and bladder control. He had no history of any constitutional symptoms. He reported 10 days later. He was managed conservatively and after two weeks of intensive rehabilitation he had complete neural recovery. The spontaneous recovery of neurological impairment is attributed to the spreading of the hematoma throughout the epidural space, thus decreasing the pressure with partial neural recovery. Conservative treatment is a fair option in young patients who present late and show neurological improvement. The neurological status on presentation will guide the further approach to management.