Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: an uncommon presentation of a rare disease.
BACKGROUND
Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is rare in children. The presenting symptoms are usually pain, either local or radicular, followed by progressive bilateral weakness, and sensory loss hours and even days later. In the absence of significant precipitating factors such as severe trauma or previously known coagulopathies the diagnosis is usually delayed, and it is not until the full picture of severe cord compression is developed, that MRI is done and the diagnosis is finally made.


METHODS
We describe a case of 10-year-old girl who presented with pain and pure brachial plexus radiculopathy as the only clinical manifestations of spinal epidural hematoma.


CONCLUSIONS
A high index of suspicion can lead to the correct diagnosis even before the development of full cord compression and thus improve the overall prognosis.
Ravid
Sarit
S
Division of Pediatric Neurology, Schneider Children's Hospital, Long Island Campus of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New Hyde Park, NY 11040, USA.
Schneider
Steven
S
Maytal
Joseph
J
D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006407:Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011379:Prognosis; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000473:pathology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery