Korean J Spine.  2013 Sep;10(3):170-173. 10.14245/kjs.2013.10.3.170.

Acute Spontaneous Cervical Epidural Hematoma Mimicking Cerebral Stroke: A Case Report and Literature Review

• Kim JK
• Kim TH
• Park SK
• Hwang YS
• Shin HS
• Shin JJ

• KMID: 2140288
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14245/kjs.2013.10.3.170

Abstract

Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma (SCEDH) is a rare disease, but can cause severe neurologic impairment. We report a case of a 68-year-old female who presented with sudden onset, posterior neck pain, right shoulder pain, and progressive right hemiparesis mimicking stroke with no trauma history. Initial brain CT and diffusion MRI performed to rule out brain lesion did not show any positive findings. Laboratory examination presented only severe thrombocytopenia (45,000/mm3). Subsequent cervical MRI revealed a cervical epidural mass lesion. We confirmed that it was pure hematoma through C5 unilateral total laminectomy and C6 partial hemilaminectomy. She achieved complete neurologic recovery with active rehabilitation. Early surgical decompression for SCEDH with neurologic impairment should be recommended for better outcome.

Keyword

Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma (SCEDH); Stroke; Liver cirrhosis

MeSH Terms

Aged
Brain
Decompression, Surgical
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Female
Hematoma*
Humans
Laminectomy
Liver Cirrhosis
Neck Pain
Paresis
Rare Diseases
Shoulder Pain
Stroke*
Thrombocytopenia