DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2023.v11i06.016

Pages: 1109-1111

A spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is an uncommon but severe condition with a high morbidity rate, especially in infants. It results from an accumulation of blood in the spinal epidural space. It requires early diagnosis and urgent management to achieve recovery of neurologic function. It refers to a non-traumatic etiology and excludes other possible causes such as hemophilia, neoplasms, arteriovenous malformation, coagulopathies, and iatrogenic causes. The clinical features are often nonspecific, leading to a delay in diagnosis. MRI provides the most valuable visualization of the location and hematoma mass as well as the presence of the spinal cord compression. SSEH can occur in any spinal cord segment but predominantly at the posterior cervicothoracic and thoracolumbar levels. The source of hemorrhage SSEH can be both vertebral venous plexus system and arterial source. We report a rare case of an infant spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma whose diagnosis was delayed because of a recent history of angina before his development of neurologic deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine revealed a dorsal spinal epidural hematoma with compression extending from C7 to T3 a. There were no predisposing factors. Laminectomy of C7 and the first three dorsal vertebrae and complete evacuation of hematoma was done.