J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2006 Jul;40(1):35-37.

Acute Spinal Epidural Hematoma Following Unilateral Laminectomy for Bilateral Decompression

• Lee DY
• Lee SH
• Jang JS

Abstract

We present a case of acute spinal epidural hematoma(EDH) following unilateral laminectomy for bilateral decompression(ULBD). A 45-year-old male presented with severe multi-level spinal stenosis underwent ULBD on the left side at the L2-3 and L3-4 level. Five hours after operation, paraparesis developed along with severe bilateral buttock pain. The CT scan showed an acute spinal EDH at the L2-3 level. The acute spinal EDH was successfully decompressed after emergency decompressive surgery with performing an additional laminectomy on the contralateral side at the L2-3 level. Although ULBD is an effective minimally invasive surgical technique for treating spinal stenosis, the possibility of acute spinal EDH should be kept in mind, as happened in our case.

Keyword

Epidural hematoma; Laminectomy; Lumbar; Stenosis

MeSH Terms

Buttocks
Constriction, Pathologic
Decompression*
Emergencies
Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal*
Humans
Laminectomy*
Male
Middle Aged
Paraparesis
Spinal Stenosis
Tomography, X-Ray Computed