SPONTANEOUS CERVICAL EPIDURAL HEMATOMA - CASE-REPORT

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is an uncommon cause of ac ute nontraumatic myelopathy. We report a 14 year-old boy who had tetra plegia on awakening. Diagnosis of spinal epidural hematoma was made by magnetic resonance imaging. Despite spinal cord decompression within 9 h from onset, he remained tetraplegic. No cause for the bleeding was found. The pathogenic hypotheses of SSEH are discussed and the import ance of rapid diagnosis and treatment is emphasized.