title: Ligamentum flavum hematoma in the cervical spine - case report.
abstract: A 67-year-old man presented with a rare case of ligamentum flavum hematoma manifesting as progressive tetraplegia following cervical traction therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine showed a posterior mass that was continuous with the ligamentum flavum at the C3-4 levels. Complete resection of the mass that contained brownish hemorrhage was performed, resulting in excellent symptom relief. We speculate that repeated trivial trauma to the degenerative ligamentum flavum was the main predisposing factor in the present case. Ligamentum flavum hematoma is a rare cause of spinal root or cord compression which typically occurs in the lower thoracic or lumbar spine, but may also appear in the cervical spine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan. miyakosh@doc.med.akita-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Naohisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyakoshi
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kasukawa
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D046748:Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D017843:Ligamentum Flavum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014143:Traction / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome