Epidural Hematoma Associated with Red Clover Use After Epidural Injection: A Case Report.

An epidural hematoma is a rare but devastating complication after interventional pain procedures. The etiology is multifactorial, including anatomical variations, inherited coagulation disorders, and consumption of anticoagulants or antiplatelet substances. Specifically, in regard to platelet aggregation, the consumption of herbal medicine is often forgotten as a potential cause for coagulation profile disorders, potentially leading to an epidural hematoma. We present the case of a patient who developed an epidural hematoma after a cervical epidural block, most likely associated with daily "red clover" consumption.

Ultrasound-guided needle aspiration of immediate postoperative symptomatic spinal epidural hematoma after lumbar stenosis surgical decompression in the elderly: a proof-of-concept case.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is one of the most feared complications and source of litigation in spine surgery. Its occurrence rises up to 2% in minimally invasive spine surgery. In parts of the world where the population is aging, more fragile patients are expected to undergo degenerative spine surgery. Management of the SSEH includes emergent spine MRI, though some experts advocate for direct second-look surgery without imaging. Then, an urgent revision surgery under general anesthesia for hematoma evacuation is warranted. We report the case of a threatening SSEH in an 88-year-old patient after lumbar spine stenosis surgery. In order to spare a second general anesthesia for this fragile patient, we opted for a percutaneous ultra-sound guided drainage of the hematoma under local anesthesia as a first line treatment. The procedure was successful, we report an instant relief of his neurological deficit while performing the procedure. CONCLUSION: Ultra-sound guided percutaneous drainage of hyperacute SSEH successfully avoided a revision surgery. It spared a second general anesthesia in a fragile patient. This procedure could be an alternative first-line treatment of SSEH for fragile patients.

Vertebral artery dissection as the underlying cause of ventral spinal epidural haematoma.

Spontaneous spine epidural haematoma is a rare occurrence, with an incidence of 0.1/100 000 inhabitants/year. The anterior location of the haematoma is very uncommon since the dural sac is firmly attached to the posterior longitudinal ligament. Vertebral artery dissection as its underlying cause is an exceptionally rare event, with only two documented cases.This article presents the case of young woman who arrived at the emergency room with a spinal ventral epidural haematoma extending from C2 to T10, caused by a non-traumatic dissecting aneurysm of the right vertebral artery at V2-V3 segment. Since the patient was tetraparetic, she underwent emergent laminectomy, and the vertebral artery dissection was subsequently treated endovascularly with stenting.Vertebral artery dissection with subsequent perivascular haemorrhage is a possible cause of spontaneous spine epidural haematoma, particularly when located ventrally in the cervical and/or high thoracic column. Hence the importance of a thorough investigation of the vertebral artery integrity.

Spontaneous Spinal Hematoma in Patients Using Antiplatelets and Anticoagulants: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous spinal hematoma (SSH) is a debilitating complication in patients taking either antiplatelet (AP) or anticoagulation (AC) medications. SSH is rare and, therefore, a systematic review is warranted to re-examine and outline trends, clinical characteristics, and outcomes associated with SSH formation. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web-of-Science were searched. Studies reporting clinical data of patients with SSH using AC medications were included. In addition, clinical studies meeting our a priori inclusion criteria limited to SSH were further defined in quality through risk bias assessment. RESULTS: We included 10 studies with 259 patients' pooled data post-screening 3083 abstracts. Within the cohort (n = 259), the prevalence of idiopathic, nontraumatic SSH with concomitant treatment with AC medications was greater 191 (73.75%) compared with AP treatment (27%). The lumbar spine was the most common site of hematoma (41.70%), followed by the cervical (22.01%) and thoracic (8.49%) spine. Most patients had surgical intervention (70.27%), and 29.73% had conservative management. The pooled data suggest that immediate diagnosis and intervention are the best prognostic factors in clinical outcomes. American Spinal Injury Association grading at initial symptom onset and post-treatment showed the greatest efficacy in symptomatic relief (87.64%) and return of motor and sensory symptoms (39.19%). CONCLUSIONS: Our review suggested that AC medications were related to SSH in most patients (74%), followed by APs (27%) and combined ACs + APs (1.9%). We recommend prompt intervention, a high suspicion for patients with neurologic deficits and diagnostic imaging before intervention to determine a case-specific treatment plan.

Chemoprophylactic Anticoagulation After Spine Surgery Does Not Increase Epidural Hematoma Risk: A Propensity-matched Analysis.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To calculate the magnitude of any increased risk of epidural hematoma (EDH) associated with chemoprophylactic anticoagulation (chemoprophylaxis), if any. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Chemoprophylaxis for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events may be associated with an increased risk of EDH after spine surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 6869 consecutive spine surgeries performed at our institution were identified, and clinical and demographic data were collected. We identified cases in which symptomatic EDHs were evacuated within 30 days postoperatively. Patients receiving chemoprophylaxis and controls were matched using K-nearest neighbor propensity score matching to calculate the effect of anticoagulation on the rate of postoperative EDH. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 1071 patients who received chemoprophylaxis were matched to 1585 controls. Propensity scores were well balanced between populations (Rubin B=20.6, Rubin R=1.05), and an 89.6% reduction in bias was achieved, with a remaining mean bias of 3.2%. The effect of chemoprophylaxis on EDH was insignificant ( P =0.294). Symptomatic EDH was independently associated with having a transfusion [odds ratio (OR)=7.30 (1.15, 46.20), P =0.035], having thoracic-level surgery [OR=41.19 (3.75, 452.4), P =0.002], and increasing body mass index [OR=1.44 (1.04, 1.98), P =0.028] but was not associated with chemoprophylaxis. Five out of 13 patients who developed EDH (38.5%) were receiving some form of anticoagulation, including 1 patient on therapeutic anticoagulation, 1 concurrently on aspirin and chemoprophylaxis, and 2 who were also found to have developed thrombocytopenia postoperatively. The median time on anticoagulation before EDH was 8.1 days. A higher proportion of patients who developed EDH also developed venous thromboembolic events than the general population [38.5% vs. 2.4%, OR=25.34 (9.226, 79.68), P <0.0001], and 1 EDH patient died from pulmonary embolism while off chemoprophylaxis. CONCLUSIONS: Chemoprophylactic anticoagulation did not cause an increase in the rate of spinal EDH in our patient population.

Non-traumatic bilateral epidural hematoma in a child with sickle cell anemia: A case report and a review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To report a rare case of spontaneous bilateral epidural hematoma (EDH) in a 10-year-old Nigerian child with sickle cell disease (SCD) and review the literature regarding this unusual complication. METHODS: We present a case of a pediatric patient with SCD who developed a spontaneous bilateral EDH and discuss the potential underlying mechanisms, management approaches, and outcomes. We also conducted a literature review of existing cases of spontaneous EDH in patients with SCD. RESULTS: Our patient initially presented with a subgaleal hematoma and underlying bilateral EDH, but she was sent home without any neurosurgical consultation. Two years later, she returned with altered consciousness and left-sided weakness, revealing an increased size of the EDH with a noticeable mass effect. She underwent a successful emergency bilateral craniotomy, with noticeable improvement in her level of consciousness and left-sided weakness post-operatively. In our literature review, we found 40 reported cases of spontaneous EDH in SCD patients, with a male predominance (82.5%). The average age of patients was 15.282 years. The most common hematoma location was bifrontal (20%) and the most reported symptom was headache (47.5%). Most patients (97.5%) were already known cases of SCD. Among those treated, 77.5% survived. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous bilateral EDH in SCD patients is an uncommon complication, with a variety of proposed pathophysiological mechanisms. Prompt recognition and appropriate management, either conservative or surgical, are crucial to improve outcomes. Our case and literature review underscore the importance of considering spontaneous EDH in SCD patients presenting with neurological symptoms, even in the absence of trauma. Further research is needed to elucidate the precise etiology, identify risk factors, and optimize management approaches for this rare complication in SCD patients.

Comparison of burr hole drainage and craniotomy for acute liquid epidural hematoma in pediatric patients.

PURPOSE: To compare the impact of burr hole drainage and craniotomy for acute liquid epidural hematoma (LEDH) in pediatric patients. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled pediatric patients with LEDH who underwent surgery in the Affiliated Hospital of Nanyang Medical College, China, between October 2011 and December 2019. According to the surgical procedure, patients were divided into the craniotomy group and the burr hole drainage group. RESULTS: A total of 21 pediatric patients were enrolled (14 males, aged 7.19 ± 2.77 years), including 13 cases in the burr hole drainage group and 8 patients in the craniotomy group. The operation time and hospitalization period in the burr hole drainage group were 33.38 ± 6.99 min and 9.85 ± 1.07 days, respectively, which were significantly shorter than that in the craniotomy group (74.25 ± 9.68 min and 13.38 ± 1.71 days, respectively; all p < 0.05). The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score after burr hole drainage was significantly improved than before (median: 15 vs 13, p < 0.05). No serious complications were observed in either group; one patient in the craniotomy group developed an infection at the incision point. All patients were conscious (GCS score was 15) at discharge. CONCLUSION: Compared with craniotomy, burr hole drainage was associated with better clinical outcomes and early recovery in patients with LEDH.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma leading to acute paraplegia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is an infrequent yet potentially debilitating condition characterized by blood accumulation in the epidural space, with only 300 documented cases globally. Although the exact etiology of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma remains poorly understood, theories suggest arteriovenous malformations, rupture of epidural vessels, or epidural veins as possible causes. CASE PRESENTATION: This study presents a 58-year-old Malay woman patient from Singapore with well-controlled hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type II diabetes mellitus, and microscopic hematuria. Despite a prior cystoscopy revealing no abnormalities, she presented to the emergency department with sudden-onset back pain, weakness, and numbness in both lower limbs. Rapidly progressing symptoms prompted imaging, leading to the diagnosis of a spinal epidural hematoma from thoracic (T) 9 to lumbar (L) 1. Prompt decompressive surgery was performed, and the patient is currently undergoing postoperative rehabilitation for paralysis. CONCLUSION: This case emphasizes the severity and life-altering consequences of spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas. Despite various proposed causative factors, a definitive consensus remains elusive in current literature. Consequently, maintaining a low threshold of suspicion for patients with similar presentations is crucial. The findings underscore the urgent need for swift evaluation and surgical intervention in cases of acute paraplegia.

Lesión medular asociada a hematoma epidural espinal espontáneo / Spinal cord injury associated with spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma

Introducción: El hematoma epidural espinal espontáneo (HEEE) es una entidad de baja incidencia, de elevada morbimortalidad y que causa una importante limitación funcional en la vida de los pacientes. Material y métodos: Con el objetivo de determinar la incidencia del HEEE y el tipo de lesión medular provocada y su repercusión funcional en este centro hospitalario, se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo analizando variables demográficas, de la lesión (ISCNSCI) y de la funcionalidad (SCIMIII). Resultados: Se revisaron los casos de HEEE atendidos en este centro. El 75% eran varones, con una mediana de edad de 55años. Todas las lesiones fueron incompletas. La localización más frecuente de las lesiones fue a nivel cervical bajo y dorsal alto. La mitad de los sangrados se produjeron en la región medular anterior. Se objetivó mejoría funcional tras el programa específico de rehabilitación. Conclusión: El HEEE podría considerarse de buen pronóstico funcional, relacionado con lesiones medulares habitualmente posteriores e incompletas sensitivo-motoras que se beneficiarían de un tratamiento rehabilitador específico precoz.(AU)

Introduction: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a disease with low incidence and high morbidity/mortality. It can cause severe loss of function. Material and methods: In order to determine the incidence, type of spinal injury and functional impact, a descriptive and retrospective study was developed, analysing demographic data, functional scores (SCIMIII) and neurological scores (ISCNSCI). Results: Cases of SSEH were reviewed. Seventy-five percent were male, median age was 55years old. All of the spinal injuries were incomplete and were frequently in the lower cervical and thoracic regions. Fifty percent of bleedings occurred in the anterior spinal cord. Most showed with a progress after an intensive rehabilitation program. Conclusion: SSEH could be considered to have a good functional prognosis, related to usually posterior and incomplete sensory-motor spinal cord injuries that would benefit from early specific rehabilitative treatment.(AU)

Why does such a cyst appear after unilateral biportal endoscopy surgery: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) has been widely and skillfully used in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation and spinal canal stenosis. UBE surgery also brings some complications, such as dural tear, epidural hematoma, residual nucleus pulposus, etc. And we found a rare case of arachnoid cyst after UBE. CASE PRESENTATION: A 48 years old female who had a history of cholecystectomy, nephrolithiasis, hyperthyroidism, chronic atrophic gastritis, and colonic polyps with several years of low back pain and numbness in both lower limbs was found have arachnoid cyst 3 years after UBE operation. We hope that we can give a new aspect of complication after the UBE treatment in the future. CONCLUSION: We believe that the postoperative hypertension and the lack of postoperative back muscle strength training and some personal factors are the possible reasons for the arachnoid cyst in this case.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and spontaneous spinal hemorrhage: a systematic review.

The neurological manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, including spontaneous spinal hemorrhage (SSH), are diverse. SSH is a detrimental neurosurgical event requiring immediate medical attention. We aimed to investigate the association between SARS-CoV-2 and SSH and delineate a rational clinical approach. The authors searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for studies published up to January 25, 2023, on SSH and SARS-CoV-2 infection. For each dataset, the authors performed pooled estimates examining three outcomes of interest: (1) early post-intervention neurological status, (2) mortality, and (3) post-intervention neurological rehabilitation outcomes. After reviewing 1341 results, seven datasets were identified for the final analysis. Fifty-seven percent of patients were females. Twenty-eight percent of the patients experienced severe systemic infection. The mean interval between the SARS-CoV-2 infection and neurological presentation was 18 days. Pain and sensorimotor deficits were the most common (57%). Spinal epidural hematoma (EDH) was the most common presentation (71.4%). Three patients were treated conservatively, while 4 received neurosurgical intervention. Pain and sensorimotor deficits had the best treatment response (100%), while the sphincter had the worst response (0%). Long-term follow-up showed that 71% of patients had good recovery. SARS-CoV-2-associated SSH is a rare complication of infection, with an often insidious presentation that requires high clinical suspicion. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and new neurological symptoms or disproportionate neck or back pain require a neuroaxis evaluation. Neurosurgical intervention and conservative management are both viable options to treat SSH following COVID-19. Still, a homogenous approach to the treatment paradigm of SSH cannot be obtained, but lesions with space-occupying effects are suitable for neurosurgical evacuation-decompression while more indolent lesions could be treated conservatively. These options should be tailored individually until larger studies provide a consensus.

Management of traumatic cervical epidural hematoma in patients on Xa-inhibitors: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Cervical epidural hematoma (CEH) is defined as a collection of blood in the suprameningeal space. Mechanisms of this rare pathology include spontaneous, postsurgical, and traumatic as the main subtypes. This unique case of traumatic CEH represents an even smaller subset of these cases. Management varies by symptom presentation, mechanism of injury, and other contraindications. CASE PRESENTATION: This case presents a 32 year old African American female on an oral anticoagulant sustaining traumatic cervical hematoma after a motor vehicle collision. Patient complained of neck, abdominal, and back pain. Imaging revealed a cervical spinal hematoma at the level of C3-C6. This case discusses the management of CEH for the general population and in the setting of anticoagulation. CONCLUSION: Management of each case of CEH must be carefully considered and tailored based on their symptom presentation and progression of disease. As the use of anticoagulation including factor Xa inhibitors becomes more prevalent, there is greater need to understand the detailed pathophysiological aspect of the injuries. Targeted reversal agents such as Prothrombin Concentrate can be used for conservative treatment. Adjunct testing such as thromboelastogram can be used to help guide management.

Conservative Treatment for Spontaneous Resolution of Postoperative Symptomatic Thoracic Spinal Epidural Hematoma-A Case Report.

Introduction: Postoperative epidural hematomas of the cervical and thoracic spine can pose a great risk of rapid neurological impairment and sometimes require immediate decompressive surgery. Case Report: We present the case of a young patient operated on for stabilization of a two-level thoracic vertebra fracture who developed total paralysis due to an epidural hematoma postoperatively. The course of epidural hematoma was quickly reversed with the help of a conservative technique that prevented revision surgery. The patient regained complete neurologic function very rapidly, and has been well on every follow-up to date. Conclusion: There is a role of similar maneuvers as described in this case to be employed in the management of postoperative epidural hematomas. However, prolonged watchful waiting should still be discouraged, and patients should remain ready for revision surgery if there are no early signs of rapid recovery.

Efficacy of gelatin-thrombin matrix sealants for blood loss in single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.

Although gelatin-thrombin matrix sealants have been used successfully in other surgery types, their effect on reducing blood loss during single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion is unclear. We thus examined the efficacy of gelatin-thrombin matrix sealants for reducing blood loss during such surgery. We analyzed 102 patients who underwent single-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar degenerative disease. We compared body mass index, surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood loss, true total blood loss, hidden blood loss, the proportion of blood transfusion, blood pressure pre- and post-surgery (systolic and diastolic), and pre-and post-surgery laboratory data (hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelets, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and D-dimer) between patients in whom gelatin-thrombin matrix sealants were (GTMS group) or were not (control group) used during surgery. One-week postoperative epidural hematoma size was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. The GTMS and control groups included 54 (24 males and 30 females) and 48 patients (19 males and 29 females). Intraoperative, true total, and hidden blood loss; epidural hematoma size; and hospitalization duration were significantly lower in the GTMS than in the control group. Intraoperative blood loss correlated with surgical time (R = 0.523, P = .001), body mass index (R = 0.221, P = .036), and the amount of gelatin-thrombin matrix sealant used (r = -0.313, P = .002). In multivariate linear regression analysis using intraoperative blood loss as the dependent variable, surgical time (standardization coefficient 0.516, P = .001) and amount of gelatin-thrombin matrix sealant used (standardization coefficient -0.220, P = .032) were independently related factors. In our study, the GTMS group had significantly less intraoperative true total and hidden blood loss than did the control group. Thus, use of gelatin-thrombin matrix sealants reduce perioperative blood loss in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.