Traumatic subacute spinal subdural hematoma successfully treated with lumbar drainage: case report.
METHODS
A case report.


OBJECTIVE
To report a rare case of traumatic subacute spinal subdural hematoma (SDH) successfully treated by lumbar drainage.


BACKGROUND
Few reports on traumatic spinal SDH are available in the English literature.


METHODS
The authors present a rare case of traumatic subacute spinal SDH. A 43-year-old man developed severe pain in his back and both legs approximately 3 weeks after a trivial car accident that occurred 1 month before presentation. The patient reported paresthesia in the L5 and S1 dermatomes bilaterally and a walking difficulty because of severe leg pain. He assessed his pain severity as 8 using the visual analog pain score scale. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed a spinal SDH extending from the level of the L5 vertebral body to S1-S2 disc space.


RESULTS
The spinal SDH was drained by lumbar puncture at the L5-S1 level without surgical exploration. The intensity of the pain decreased considerable immediately, and he was able to walk independently. The patient recovered uneventfully and a follow-up magnetic resonance imaging conducted 4 weeks after the procedure revealed complete disappearance of the hematoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Traumatic spinal SDH is extremely rare and is usually associated with intracranial injury. Here, the authors report a rare case of traumatic spinal SDH not associated with head injury, which was successfully treated by lumbar drainage.
Cho
Dae-Chul
DC
Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
Sung
Joo-Kyoung
JK
D000328:Adult; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D046649:Hematoma, Subdural, Spinal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography