Acute Spontaneous Cervical Spinal Epidural Haematoma a Very Rare Presentation Mimicking of Carotid Dissection during Sleep

Asian J Neurosurg. 2020 May 29;15(2):455-457. doi: 10.4103/ajns.AJNS_318_19. eCollection 2020 Apr-Jun.

Abstract

Acute spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma without any identified etiology is a rare phenomenon and an uncommon cause of acute spinal cord compression. We report a case of acute spontaneous cervical spinal epidural hematoma, with sudden onset of acute neck pain and left-side body weakness during sleep which resembling of cervicle carotid dissection. The pain commenced suddenly, early in the morning while the patient was asleep. He had no previous history of any relevant medical disorder. Cervical Spine MRI revealed a cervical epidural haematoma at C3/C4, mainly on the left side, with spinal cord compression. Therefore, an emergent C3/C6 hemilaminectomy and evacuation of hematoma were carried out within 24 h of presentation. The patient's neck pain resolved after surgery and he was able to walk, though he required bladder catheterization on discharge after 1 week. He has nearly intact motor neurological examination in the second month of the operation.

Keywords: Acute; carotid; cervical; dissection; epidural hematoma; magnetic resonance imaging; sleep; spinal; spontaneous; stroke.

Publication types

  • Case Reports