Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma treated by the combination of surgical evacuation and steroid pulse therapy.
A 70-year-old man on antiplatelet therapy developed sudden severe back pain in his neck with numbness and weakness in his extremities. On admission, he presented with complete quadriplegia, hypoesthesia, and anuria. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed cervical cord compression due to an epidural hematoma posterior to the spinal cord and intramedullary hyperintensity. Surgical evacuation was performed about 12 hours after the onset, but the recovery of neurological deficits was poor. After performing 2 additional administrations of steroid pulse therapy, the patient's motor dysfunction began to improve and spinal MRI showed a recovery as well. These observations suggest that steroid administration should be considered as a post-operative additional therapy for cases with severe neurological deficits even after surgery.
Omori
Nobuhiko
N
Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Okayama Medical Center. nobu-san@okayama3.hosp.go.jp
Takada
Eiichi
E
Narai
Hisashi
H
Tanaka
Tomotaka
T
Abe
Koji
K
Manabe
Yasuhiro
Y
D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D046748:Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020551:Pulse Therapy, Drug
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D008775:Methylprednisolone