title: Pure cervical radiculopathy due to spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma (SSEH): report of a case solved conservatively.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma (SSEH) is widely recognised throughout the literature as a cause of myelopathy, radicular compression being very rarely reported. Surgical management is almost always recommended, especially in the cases of spinal cord compression. Conservative treatment is reported as a curiosity and only in the case of spontaneous improvement. This report presents the particular case of a 64-year-old patient undergoing anticoagulant therapy that had a cervical radiculopathy due to a SSEH confirmed by MRI. The patient improved spontaneously and symptoms were solved with unconventional conservative treatment and without stopping the anticoagulant therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spontaneous epidural haematoma must be kept in mind when patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy have a sudden onset of cervicobrachialgia. Even though most spinal surgeons advocate surgical treatment, a conservative approach may lead to a complete recovery and may be considered as a good option in the case of radicular involvement. Discontinuation of the anticoagulant therapy may not always be needed, especially when the clinical syndrome improves spontaneously.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Surgery, University Clinic of Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villas
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Matías
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alfonso
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D046748:Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000209:etiology*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants