Acute epidural hematoma due to spinal venous angioma: A case report

Abstract

Background: Spinal epidural cavernous angioma was reported about 4% of all spinal epidural tumors, mostly generating as a primary lesion in the vertebral bone. Spinal epidural hematoma (SEDH) due to angioma without primary origin was very rare, which reported in the English literatures was only 10 cases including our case. The main symptoms were numbness and pains and motor weakness owing to the acute compression signs of cord and roots. Emergency surgical treatment was required for the good surgical results. We present a rare case of cervical acute epidural hematoma due to ruptured venous angioma. Case presentation: A 78-year-old man, who suffered from sudden severe right suboccipitalgia., and sent to our hospital. He also noticed progressive numbness and motor weakness over his bilateral upper and lower extremities after the onset. Cervical CT and MRI showed acute intracanal hematoma over the right side of the cervical spine at C2 to C6. Emergency operation was performed 13 h after the onset. His sensory and motor symptoms were disappeared quickly after the operation. Pathological examination revealed spinal epidural hematoma due to venous angioma. Conclusion: This case presented with acute progressive deterioration of paresis and sensory disturbance, and required emergency operation. Early diagnosis and emergency surgical treatment are essential for the therapy of acute spinal epidural hematoma due to venous angioma.