Spinal epidural hematoma as a stroke mimic.

PURPOSE: Spinal epidural hematoma is a rare but important disease as it can be a stroke mimic. Our aim was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with an activated stroke code and spinal epidural hematoma. METHODS: Patients with an activated stroke code were examined retrospectively. Patients with spinal epidural hematoma were evaluated with further neurological examinations and neuroimaging. RESULTS: Of 2866 patients with an activated stroke code, spinal epidural hematoma was detected in 5 (0.2%, 63-79 years, 2 men). In all 5 cases, hematoma was located in the unilateral dorsal region of the spinal canal and spread to 5-9 vertebral segments at the C1-T3 level. None of the patients had a medical history of head or neck injury, coagulopathy, or use of anti-thrombotic agents. All of the patients had occipital, neck, and/or back pain, and their hemiparesis occurred simultaneously or within 1 h after the onset of pain. Hyperalgesia ipsilateral to the hematoma was observed in 1 patient, hypoalgesia contralateral to the hematoma was observed in 1, and quadriparesis and bilateral hypoalgesia were observed in 1. The hematomas spontaneously decreased in size in 4 patients, and cervical laminectomy was performed in the other patient. In the 1860 patients with an activated stroke code and spontaneous eye opening, the sensitivity of pain as a predictor of spinal epidural hematoma was 100%, with a specificity of 88.7%, and positive predictive value of 2.3%. CONCLUSION: Patients with spinal epidural hematoma could present with clinical characteristics mimicking ischemic stroke. Spinal epidural hematoma should be differentiated in patients treated under stroke code activation.

Sharp systolic blood pressure elevation at extubation is a risk factor for symptomatic epidural hematoma after spine surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: The present study is a single-center retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to verify the hypothesis that sharp elevation of systolic blood pressure at extubation is a risk factor for development of symptomatic epidural hematoma after spinal surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Postoperative symptomatic epidural hematoma (she) after spine surgery is a rare but potentially serious complication that may result in paralysis unless removed at an early stage. METHODS: The subjects were 2611 patients treated with decompression and decompression/fusion of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae at our hospital. Twelve of these patients developed postoperative SEH and removal of hematoma was performed. To investigate the risk factors in these patients, data were analyzed for age at the time of surgery, sex, preoperative complications, medical history, body mass index, preoperative platelet count, surgical procedure, microscope use, operative time, blood loss, surgical site, systolic blood pressure (SBP) at extubation, difference between resting and extubation SBP, ratio of SBP at extubation to that at rest, blood pressure at discharge from the operating room, and use of a drain. RESULTS: There was a significantly higher rate of SBP ratio (extubation/rest) ≥1.3 in patients with SEH (p = 0.021, Fisher's exact test). Among the preoperative complications and medical histories, the frequency of cerebrovascular disorder tended to be higher in SEH cases than in non-SEH cases (p = 0.073). There was no significant difference for all other parameters listed above. In multivariate logistic analysis, the odds ratios were 3.98 (p = 0.018) for an SBP ratio (extubation/rest) ≥1.3 and 4.75 (p = 0.055) for cerebrovascular disorder, suggesting effects of these two items. With simultaneous input into a multivariate model, SBP ratio ≥1.3 had a significant independent association with postoperative SEH (p = 0.021) and cerebrovascular disorder showed a tendency for this association (p = 0.072). CONCLUSION: The risk for symptomatic epidural hematoma is significant in patients with SBP at extubation that is more than 1.3 times that of SBP at rest.

Radiologic Features and Clinical Course of Chronic Spinal Epidural Hematoma: Report of 4 Cases and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) is a potentially devastating problem that requires rapid diagnosis and surgical intervention. A chronic course is rarely seen following SEH, and the clinical characteristics are quite different from acute cases. The epidemiology, clinical history, and radiologic findings of chronic SEH (CSEH) are not well understood, although the detection rate has increased with the widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging. The purpose of this article was to report 4 cases of surgically confirmed CSEH and clarify the radiologic features and clinical scenarios by reviewing all published cases of CSEH. CASE DESCRIPTION: All 4 patients presented with gradually worsening radicular pain in the lower extremities. Patients' mean age was 69.5 years (range, 55-85 years). Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an epidural mass in the lower lumbar spine that was heterogeneously enhanced after gadolinium administration. The rim of the mass was low intensity on T2*-weighted images. Local erosions of the adjacent cortical bone were seen with computed tomography in all cases. All patients' postoperative courses were satisfactory with complete disappearance of radicular symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: CSEH is a rare disease, and it is difficult to diagnose preoperatively on the basis of diagnostic imaging. The incidence of a low-intensity rim on T2*-weighted images and bone erosions on computed tomography may help differentiate rare CSEH from other lumbar degenerative diseases and epidural space-occupying masses.

Epidural Hematoma Following Cessation of a Direct Oral Anticoagulant: A Case Report.

OBJECTIVE: In this case report, we describe a case of epidural hematoma following epidural analgesia in a patient with recent cessation of a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC). CASE REPORT: An 89-year-old woman requiring upper abdominal surgery presented with multiple comorbidities, including a prior cerebrovascular accident resulting in a left-sided hemiparesis and atrial fibrillation requiring anticoagulation with rivaroxaban. In accordance with our departmental guidelines at the time of procedure, rivaroxaban was discontinued 4 days preoperatively. A thoracic epidural was placed at T8/9 immediately prior to induction. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis was provided with compression devices, and every-12-hour unfractionated heparin initiated 5.5 hours after epidural placement. On postoperative day 2, the patient was noted to have a bilateral motor block, and imaging demonstrated a thoracic epidural hematoma extending from T6 to T11. Preexisting neurological deficits may have delayed detection. With patient agreement, neurosurgery recommended observation rather than surgical decompression because the patient was a poor surgical candidate and limited neurologic recovery was expected. The patient had modest motor recovery over the next few months. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines for cessation of DOACs prior to neuraxial techniques are based on pharmacologic half-lives rather than accumulated experience. This case adds to the experience of neuraxial analgesia complications while following these guidelines. Patient risk may be increased by the combination of recent cessation of a DOAC, as well as the cumulative effect of multiple small risk factors. Continued vigilance and reporting of cases of epidural hematomas will enhance our understanding and ultimately improve patient care. Elderly patients and/or patients with prior neurological deficits may present further challenges for early detection and require frequent assessments with comparison to baseline status.

Cervical spine traumatic epidural haematomas: Incidence and characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical spine traumatic epidural haematomas (CSTEH) can cause potentially devastating neurological deficits if not promptly identified. Study aims were to determine the incidence, characteristics and outcomes for patients with CSTEH. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed at a tertiary hospital with an adult Level 1 Trauma Centre on all consecutive patients diagnosed with CSTEH over a 4 year period. Medical record review was undertaken for all patients with the diagnoses of CSTEH to identify patient characteristics including age, mechanism of injury and co-morbid conditions. Additional data was extracted regarding radiology interpretation, surgical interventions, thromboembolic chemoprophylaxis use, discharge disposition and neurological outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 27 888 patients were admitted with traumatic injuries between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2014, of which 1916 patients sustained cervical spine injuries. The incidence of CSTEH was 0.6% among all trauma patients and 9.1% among patients with any cervical spine injury. Of those with CSTEH, 89 patients (50.9%) had neurological deficits consistent with the anatomical location of the epidural haematoma. Magnetic resonance imaging diagnosed CSTEH in 132 patients (75.4%), of whom 23 patients (13.1%) had normal computed tomography cervical spine imaging. Among the patients diagnosed with CSTEH, 13 (7.4%) died and 78 (44.6%) required cervical spine surgical decompressions. CONCLUSION: This study shows a high incidence of CSTEH among trauma patients. CSTEH is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. High clinical vigilance is required to allow the request and acquisition of urgent magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose CSTEH as the entity is often not evident on initial cervical spine computed tomography investigations.

Post-traumatic cervical spine epidural hematoma: Incidence and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and risk factors for post-traumatic cervical epidural hematoma are not well described in the current literature. Our aim was to determine the incidence and associated risk factors for post-traumatic cervical spine epidural hematoma (SEH). METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of our institution's prospectively collected data submitted to the state trauma registry, using ICD-9 codes, for all patients activated as a trauma with cervical spine injuries, between the years 2010 and 2014. Patients with MRI available were classified based on the presence of cervical epidural hematoma (CEH) or no hematoma (NEH). For our second analysis, we classified patients with cord compression associated with an epidural hematoma (CC) and no cord compression (NCC). Potential risk factors evaluated included: INR, PTT, albumin and platelets levels, radiographic findings of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), and ISS. No conflicts of interest exist and/or funding was used for this study. RESULTS: 497 out of 1810 trauma activations met our inclusion criteria. 46 patients (2.5%) were found to have a post-traumatic cervical SEH (CEH). Of the CEH cohort, 76% were male, with 72% Caucasian, and a mean age of 55 years. 27 patients (5.4%) were found to have cervical cord compression at the level of the SEH. Of the CC arm, 78% were male, with 67% Caucasian, and a mean age of 56 years. A higher ISS and an elevated INR were found to be associated with epidural hematoma causing cord compression. CONCLUSIONS: An incidence of 2.5% is reported for post-traumatic cervical spine epidural hematoma. Of these, 59% had associated spinal cord compression. Patients with a higher ISS and elevated INR levels are at a higher risk for developing this potentially devastating.

Anesthetic management of spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma during pregnancy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma during pregnancy is a quite rare event requiring emergent decompressive surgery in the majority of cases to prevent permanent neurological damage. Therefore, there is little data in the literature regarding anesthetic management of cervical localization during pregnancy. The potential for difficult airway management with the patient under general anesthesia is one of the major concerns that needs to be addressed to prevent further cord compression. Anesthetic management should also include measures to maintain the mean arterial pressure to improve spinal cord perfusion. Furthermore, spine surgery in pregnant patients needs special consideration in terms of positioning and in the postoperative period. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 35-year-old white woman at 21 weeks of gestation with a spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma. Fiberoptic bronchoscope-guided nasal intubation was a safe option to ensure a higher rate of successful endotracheal intubation while minimizing the risk of aggravating the injury. Her care posed other multiples challenges that required a multidisciplinary team approach. CONCLUSIONS: The case of our patient serves as a reminder of this rare condition and its implications regarding anesthesia.

Why Cannot Suction Drains Prevent Postoperative Spinal Epidural Hematoma?

BACKGROUND: Postoperative spinal epidural hematoma (POSEH) is different from spontaneous or post-spinal procedure hematoma because of the application of suction drains. However, it appeared that suction drains were not effective for prevention of POSEH in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to test our hypothesis that POSEH can be caused by hypercoagulability. METHODS: This was an experimental study. One hundred fifty milliliters of blood was donated from each of the 12 consecutive patients who underwent spine surgery and infused into 3 saline bags of 50 mL each. One of the 3 bags in each set contained 5,000 units of thrombin. All of them were connected to 120 ± 30 mmHg vacuum suctions: drainage was started 8 minutes after connection to the vacuum system for 12 normal blood bags (BV8) and 12 thrombin-containing blood bags (TBV8) and 15 minutes after connection for the remaining 12 normal blood bags (BV15). The amount of initial and remaining hematoma at 20 minutes, 120 minutes, and 24 hours after vacuum application were measured by their weight (g). The primary endpoint was the difference between BV8 and TBV8. The secondary end point was the difference between BV8 and BV15. RESULTS: The remaining hematoma in TBV8 was significantly greater than that in BV8 at all measurement points: 46.3 ± 12.4 vs. 17.0 ± 1.3 (p = 0.000) at 20 minutes; 33.0 ± 8.2 vs. 16.3 ± 1.2 (p = 0.000) at 120 minutes; and 26.1 ± 4.0 vs. 15.8 ± 1.6 (p = 0.000) at 24 hours after vacuum application. The remaining hematoma of BV15 was significantly greater than that of BV8 at all measurement points: 30.0 ± 12.0 vs. 17.0 ± 1.3 (p = 0.002) at 20 minutes; 24.2 ± 7.6 vs. 16.3 ± 1.2 at 120 minutes (p = 0.002); and 22.2 ± 6.6 vs. 15.8 ± 1.6 (p = 0.004) at 24 hours after vacuum application. CONCLUSIONS: With a suction drain in place, the amount of remaining hematoma could be affected by coagulability. Thrombin-containing local hemostatics and the length of time elapsed before the commencement of suction resulted in hypercoagulability, indicating these two factors could be causes of POSEH.

Spontaneous thoracic epidural hematoma: a case report and literature review.

Spinal epidural hematoma is a rare neurosurgical emergency in respect of motor and sensory loss. Identifiable reasons for spontaneous hemorrhage are vascular malformations and hemophilias. We presented a case of spontaneous epidural hematoma in an 18-year-old female patient who had motor and sensory deficits that had been present for 1 day. On MRI, there was spinal epidural hematoma posterior to the T2-T3 spinal cord. The hematoma was evacuated with T2 hemilaminectomy and T3 laminectomy. Patient recovered immediately after the surgery. Literature review depicted 112 pediatric cases (including the presented one) of spinal epidural hematoma. The female/male ratio is 1.1:2. Average age at presentation is 7.09 years. Clinical presentations include loss of strength, sensory disturbance, bowel and bladder disturbances, neck pain, back pain, leg pain, abdominal pain, meningismus, respiratory difficulty, irritability, gait instability, and torticollis. Most common spinal level was cervicothoracic spine. Time interval from symptom onset to clinical diagnosis varied from immediate to 18 months. Spinal epidural hematoma happened spontaneously in 71.8 % of the cases, and hemophilia was the leading disorder (58 %) in the cases with a definable disorder. Partial or complete recovery is possible after surgical interventions and factor supplementations.

Spinal cavernous extradural angiolipoma manifesting as a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in a child.

INTRODUCTION: Angiolipomas are benign tumors usually manifested as subcutaneous nodules. Rarely they may form spinal extradural masses. These spinal cavernous angiolipomas have mostly been described in adults. DIAGNOSIS: To our knowledge, spinal cavernous angiolipomas have been reported in nine pediatric patients. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: In this paper, we present a 1-year-old child presenting with a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma from a spinal cavernous angiolipoma and highlight the importance of conducting a histopathological analysis of spontaneous hematomas in previously healthy children.

Large Increase in Blood Pressure After Extubation and High Body Mass Index Elevate the Risk of Spinal Epidural Hematoma After Spinal Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Matched case-control study. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors other than a multilevel procedure that increase the risk of symptomatic postoperative spinal epidural hematoma (SEH). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Postoperative SEH is a potentially devastating complication of spinal surgery. Previous studies that reported risk factors for postoperative SEH all identified a multilevel procedure as a risk factor, but the other risk factors remain unclear. METHODS: Patients who developed postoperative SEH requiring surgical evacuation were identified from database. Each patient was matched with 3 controls who underwent spinal decompression at the same number of levels in the same part of the spine by the same surgeon during the preceding or following year. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for postoperative SEH to obtain adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Clinical outcomes after evacuation were investigated separately divided with or without severe paralysis or time until the second surgery. RESULTS: Postoperative SEH evacuation was performed after 32 of 8250 (0.39%) spinal decompression procedures. The incidence was significantly higher after thoracic procedures (2.41%) than after cervical (0.21%) or lumbar (0.39%) procedures. Multivariate analysis identified a 50 mm Hg or greater increase in systolic blood pressure after extubation (adjusted odds ratio: 3.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.22-8.51) and higher body mass index (adjusted odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.31) as risk factors. Among 14 patients with severe paralysis due to postoperative SEH, those who underwent evacuation within 24 hours of the onset had a significantly better improvement in clinical outcome and Frankel grade than did those after 24 hours. CONCLUSION: A 50 mm Hg or greater increase in systolic blood pressure after extubation and high body mass index were identified as risk factors for SEH. Appropriate blood pressure control especially at the end of surgery is important for the prevention of postoperative SEH, particularly in obese patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: the importance of preoperative neurological status and rapid intervention.

We describe the presentation, management, and outcome of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) in two tertiary academic centers. We retrospectively reviewed clinical and imaging files in patients diagnosed with SSEH from 2002-2011. Neurologic status was assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS). A total of 17 patients (10 females; mean age 54 years, range 10-89) were included. Among patients presenting with AIS A, 5/8 showed no improvement and 3/8 reached AIS C. Among those presenting with AIS C, 5/6 reached AIS E and 1/6 reached AIS D. Of those presenting with AIS D, 3/3 reached AIS E. Mean time-to-surgery (TTS) was 28 hours (range 3-96). TTS surgery in two patients remaining at AIS A was ⩽ 12 hours; in 4/8 patients recovering to AIS E it was > 12 hours, including three patients operated on after > 24 hours. In patients remaining at AIS A, a mean of 4.4 levels were treated compared with means of 3.7 and 3.5 in those with AIS C and E, respectively, at late follow-up. In this series, preoperative neurological status had greater impact on late outcome than time from symptom onset to surgery in patients with SSEH.

Non-traumatic spinal epidural haematoma after breath-hold diving.

We report a case of non-traumatic spinal epidural haematoma in a female vocational diver after breath-hold diving. Sudden and repetitive atmospheric changes along diving may cause venous engorgement of the valveless spinal epidural veins. We suggest that repetitive barotrauma was the cause of the spinal epidural haematoma in this patient.

A spinal epidural hematoma with symptoms mimicking cerebral stroke.

A spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma (SCEH) is a rare condition, which usually requires urgent treatment. However, unusual manifestations, such as hemiparesis, may lead to a misdiagnosis. We herein report a case of SCEH that presented with pure motor hemiparesis to discuss the appropriate and prompt diagnosis and treatment of such cases. An 84-year-old female was brought to our emergency department complaining of nuchal pain, followed by right hemiparesis. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the neck demonstrated a spinal epidural hematoma right posterolateral to the spinal cord, extending from C2 to C3. She was managed conservatively and her symptoms improved significantly. The authors emphasize that cervical spinal lesions should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with acute onset of hemiparesis, when they are associated with neck pain. Even though magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard, a CT scan is also useful for quick screening for SCEH.