SPONTANEOUS SPINAL EPIDURAL HEMATOMAS WITH REPEATED REMISSION AND RELAPSE

We present a case of spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma (SSEH) with a rare clinical course of repeated spontaneous recovery and relapse. The patient suffered three episodes of upper-back pain of sudden onset followed by sensory and motor dysfunction after weight lifting. In th e first two episodes, the neurological deficits recovered spontaneousl y and completely. In the last episode, paraplegia persisted even after emergency surgery. Serial studies with computed tomographic (CT) myel ography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated the remittin g and relapsing course of the SSEHs. The possible causes of the SSEHs and the mechanisms of spontaneous recovery are discussed.