Atypical evolution after dengue: extradural hematoma of vertebral canal level l4-l5 / Evolução atípica após dengue: formação de hematoma extradural do canal vertebral nível l4-l5 / Evolución atípica después del dengue: formación de hematoma extradural del canal vertebral nivel l4-l5

ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to report a case of atypical evolution after a classic case of dengue confirmed by serology, in which the formation of an epidural hematoma with low back pain and radiculopathy was observed. The article is a qualitative and descriptive case report. Data were collected from the medical records of the hospital where the patient was treated. In conclusion, the diagnostic correlation of dengue with this rare condition was possible due to radiological comparisons before and after the formation of the extradural hematoma. Level of evidence V; Expert Opinion.

RESUMO O presente trabalho tem como objetivo relatar um caso de evolução atípica após quadro clássico de dengue, confirmada por sorologia, em que foi observada a formação de um hematoma extradural, com dor lombar baixa e radiculopatia. O artigo é tipo relato de caso, qualitativo e descritivo. Os dados foram coletados no prontuário do hospital onde o doente foi atendido. Como conclusão, a correlação diagnóstica da dengue com essa afecção rara foi possível devido a comparações radiológicas pré- e pós-formação do hematoma extradural. Nível de evidência V; Opinião de Especialista.

RESUMEN El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo relatar un caso de evolución atípica después de un cuadro clásico de dengue, confirmado por serología, en el que se observó la formación de un hematoma extradural, con dolor lumbar bajo y radiculopatía. El artículo es tipo relato de caso, cualitativo y descriptivo. Los datos fueron recolectados en el prontuario del hospital en donde el enfermo fue atendido. Como conclusión, la correlación diagnóstica del dengue con esta afección fue posible debido a las comparaciones radiológicas pre y post formación del hematoma extradural. Nivel de evidencia V; Opinión de Especialista.

A case report spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma diagnosed in a hemophilic child with neck pain

Hemophilia is a disease that causes a hemorrhagic tendency due to a congenital deficiency of blood clotting factors. Hemorrhagic arthritis is the most common complication in hemophilia patients, and hemorrhage in various areas, such as intramuscular hemorrhage and mucosal hemorrhage, can occur. Among the most dangerous complications, central nervous system hemorrhage can occur, which is the most common cause of death in hemophiliacs. An intracerebral hemorrhage in a central nervous system hemorrhage is very rare but occurs spontaneously, and it is often traumatic. Some cases have been reported in foreign countries, but there are no cases reported in Korea. Most cases reported in foreign countries occurred in the cervical to the thoracic regions, but there are no cases in only the cervical region. This paper reports a case of spinal epidural hematoma that developed spontaneously in a child with hemophilia complaining of neck pain.

Research progress on early diagnosis, reasonable prevention and treatment of symptomatic spinal epidural hematoma following spinal surgery / 中华外科杂志

Symptomatic spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) following spinal surgery is rare but one of the serious complications. SSEH can leave devastating neurological consequences if missing the optimal timing for treatment. The early diagnosis of SSEH is critical to the neurologic recovery, and MRI examination can help to check the location and the scope of the hematoma and provide imaging information for surgical operation. The risk factors of SSEH can be divided into preoperative factors, intraoperative factors and postoperative factors. The occurrence of SSEH can be minimized by controlling the risk factors, exact hemostasis and reasonable perioperative management. Patients with mild paralysis can choose conservative treatment, while patients with severe or progressive nerve injury (manual muscle testing <3) and unendurable nerve root pain should choose to clean the hematoma and decompress the nerve as soon as possible.

Anticoagulantes e bloqueios do neuroeixo / Anticoagulants and neuraxial blockade

O número de pacientes em uso de fármacos anticoagulantes ou que alteram a hemostasia tem aumentado em virtude da maior expectativa de vida da população, do advento de medicamentos mais seguros e do aumento na prevalência de doenças cardiovasculares. A anestesia por bloqueio do neuroeixo quando realizada nesses pacientes traz o risco de sangramento e hematoma espinhal. Apesar da incidência estimada de complicações hemorrágicas associadas a bloqueios neuroaxiais ser baixa, além de imprecisa, a gravidade de suas consequências torna imperativo o desenvolvimento de estratégias que aumentem a segurança no procedimento anestésico desses pacientes. Entretanto, as recomendações baseadas em evidências são fracas, pois se baseiam principalmente em relatos de casos, pequenos estudos e farmacocinética das drogas. Neste artigo, revisamos a literatura sobre técnicas neuroaxiais realizadas em pacientes em uso de drogas anticoagulantes e/ou que alteram a hemostasia, com o objetivo de auxiliar o anestesiologista no manejo mais seguro e de qualidade para os pacientes.

The number of patients using anticoagulants or drugs that alter hemostasis has increased because of increased life expectancy, advent of safer medicines, and increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. In these patients, anesthesia by neuraxial blockade brings the risk of bleeding and spinal hematoma. Despite the estimated incidence of hemorrhagic complications associated with neuraxial blockade being low and inaccurate, the gravity of its consequences makes the development ofstrategies that increase the safety in the anesthetic procedures in these patients imperative. However, evidence-based recommendations are weak because they are based primarily on case reports, small studies, and drugs pharmacokinetics. In this article, we reviewed the literature on neuraxial techniques performed in patients using anticoagulant drugs, and/or those that alter hemostasis, with the objective of assisting the anesthesiologist to improve the quality and safety in these patients? management.

Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Hematoma Caused by Dual Antiplatelet Agent Therapy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / 대한내과학회지

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas (SSEH) are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all spinal epidural lesions. The potential causes include coagulopathies, antithrombotic drugs, hypertension, increased venous pressure, and vascular malformations. A SSEH causes severe neurological deficits unless treated in a timely manner. As the number of patients who are diagnosed with ischemic heart disease and treated using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increases, the prescription of dual antiplatelet agents is also increasing. We report a case of SSEH caused by dual antiplatelet agent therapy in a patient who had undergone PCI.

Análise epidemiológica de 210 casos de hematoma extradural traumático tratados cirurgicamente / Epidemiological analysis of 210 cases of surgically treated traumatic extradural hematoma

OBJETIVO: Analisar aspectos da epidemiologia, apresentação clínica e radiológica de pacientes com hematoma extradural traumático (HED) submetidos a procedimento neurocirúrgico. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada a revisão de prontuários de 210 pacientes admitidos no Serviço de Emergência com HED diagnosticados através de tomografia computadorizada, tratados cirurgicamente no período de agosto de 1998 a janeiro de 2008. Foram analisados: idade, sexo, apresentação clínica e radiológica, mecanismo de trauma e status neurológico no momento da alta hospitalar. RESULTADOS: Em 49,2% o mecanismo de trauma foi queda; 89,2% dos pacientes eram do gênero masculino; 49,7% dos casos tinham Escala de Coma de Glasgow (ECG) entre 13-15; 61% dos pacientes tinham idade entre 20-49 anos; A localização do HED em 26,5% e 19,6% dos casos foi têmporo-parietal e temporal, respectivamente; 32,8% tinham lesões intracranianas associadas, sendo a fratura craniana evidenciada em cerca de 45% dos casos; 76,2% dos pacientes tratados cirurgicamente tiveram alta com déficit mínimo ou ausência de déficit neurológico. CONCLUSÃO: Observamos que o HED, na população de estudo, apresenta-se mais frequentemente no gênero masculino, na quarta década de vida, mais relacionado às quedas. Na admissão, observamos uma ECG entre 13 e 15, sendo pertinente mencionar o envolvimento da região têmporo-parietal na maioria dos casos. Acreditamos que o conhecimento da epidemiologia do hematoma extradural traumático pode auxiliar na elaboração de medidas de saúde pública, visando à prevenção e identificação precoce desta doença em determinada população.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the epidemiology, clinical and radiological presentation of patients with traumatic extradural hematoma (EDH) undergoing neurosurgical procedures. METHODS: We performed a chart review of 210 patients admitted to the emergency department with EDH diagnosed by CT scan and surgically treated between August 1998 and January 2008. Variables analyzed were: age, gender, clinical and radiological presentation, mechanism of injury and neurological status at discharge from hospital. RESULTS: In 49.2% trauma mechanism was fall; 89.2% of patients were male, 49.7% of cases had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) between 13 and 15; 61% of patients had age between 20 and 49 years; the location of EDH was the temporo-parietal and temporal in 26.5% and 19.6% of the cases, respectively; 32.8% had associated intracranial lesions, with skull fractures seen in around 45% of cases; 76.2% of surgically treated patients were discharged with minimal or no neurologic deficit. CONCLUSION: We observed that, in the study population, EDH appears more often in males, in the fourth decade of life, and is more related to falls. On admission, GCS was observed between 13 and 15 and it is appropriate to mention the involvement of the temporo-parietal region in most cases. We believe that knowledge of the epidemiology of traumatic epidural hematoma can assist in developing public health measures aimed at prevention and early identification of this disease in the population.

Optimum dose of normal saline for preloading epidural space required to prevent injury to blood vessel by epidural catheter placement for caesarean section / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To determine the optimum dose of normal saline (NS) for preloading epidural space required to prevent the injury to blood vessel by epidural catheter placement for caesarean section.Methods Two hundred ASA Ⅰ or Ⅱ parturients with a single baby at full term in vertex presentation,aged 24-35 yr,weighing 63-78 kg,scheduled for caesarean section under continuous epidural anesthesia,were randomly divided into4 groups (n-50 each):control group (group Ⅰ),NS2 ml group (group Ⅱ),NS5 ml group (group Ⅲ)and NS 10 ml group (group Ⅳ).The epidural puncture was performed at L2-3 interspace with a Tuohy needle attached to a 5 ml syringe.Loss of resistance was used to identify the epidural space.In group C no fluid was injected into the epidural space before insertion of the catheter,while in groups Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ NS 2,5 and 10 ml were injected into the epidural space before the catheter insertion respectively.After a test dose of 3 ml 1.5％ lidocaine,0.75％ ropivacaine 10-20 ml was administered through the epidural catheter.MAP and HR were recorded before epidural puncture (T0),at 10 and 20 min after the end of epidural administration (T1.2),and at the end of surgery (T3).The number of patients in whom blood or blood tinted fluid was withdrawn from the epidural catheter was recorded.The amount of ropivacaine consumed was recorded.The upper level of anesthesia was measured by pin-prick and the degree of motor block was assessed using modified Bromagc scale at T2.Results The hemodynamic parameters were in the normal range in the four groups.MAP was significantly lower at T2,the upper level of anesthesia was significantly higher,and the degree of motor block was significantly smaller in group Ⅳ than in groups Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ (P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in MAP among groups Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ (P ＞ 0.05).There was no significant difference in HR and the amount of ropivacaine consumed among the four groups (P ＞ 0.05).The number of patients in whom blood or blood tinted fluid was withdrawn fiom epidural catheter was significantly smaller in groups Ⅲ and Ⅳ compared with groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Preloading the epidural space with NS 5 ml can prevent the occurrence of injury to blood vessel induced by insertion of epidural catheter with no influence on the efficacy of anesthesia and NS 5 ml is the optimum dose.

Acute epidural hematoma after thoracic spine surgery / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To investigate the risk factors and preventive measures for acute epidural hematoma after posterior thoracic spine surgery.Methods A retrospective study of 14 patients who developed acute epidural hematoma after thoracic spine surgery from May 2002 to May 2012 was conducted.There were 6 males and 8 females,aged from 41 to 69 years (average,61.2 years).There were 10 cases of thoracic spinal canal stenosis,3 cases of thoracic spinal meningioma,and 1 case of thoracic metastasis.About 3-14 h (average,6.6 h) after posterior thoracic spine surgery,the neurological deterioration was found,and according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification,there were 5 cases of grade A and 9 cases of grade B.The neurological function before evacuation of hematoma was compared with that after evacuation of hematoma and that at final follow-up.The correlations between hematoma compression time,neurological improvement rate and neurological function before evacuation of hematoma were statistically analyzed.Results After evacuation of hematoma,the ASIA classification of 14 patients was as follows:grade B in 1 case,grade C in 2 cases,grade D in 4 cases,and grade E in 7 cases.The hematoma compression time of 3 patients with grade B or C was more than 10 hours.Obvious difference of neurological function was found before and after evacuation of hematoma.The neurological improvement rate was 63.7％±23.3％ after evacuation of hematoma,which was negatively correlated with hematoma compression time and positively correlated with preoperative neurological function.The neurological function before evacuation of hematoma was significantly different from that at final follow-up.The neurological improvement rate was 86.97％±17.58％ at final follow-up,which was negatively correlated with hematoma compression time and positively correlated with preoperative neurological function.Conclusion The acute epidural hematoma after thoracic spine surgery could cause severe neurological deterioration.The neurological improvement was negatively correlated with hematoma compression time.Evacuation of hematoma must be done as soon as possible once progressive neurological deterioration is found.

Hematoma neuroaxial após bloqueio peridural: é possível prevenir ou detectar?: relato de dois casos / Neuraxial hematoma after epidural anesthesia: is it possible to prevent or detect it?: report of two cases

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Os hematomas espinais são raros e acometem o sistema nervoso central. Podem causar sequelas neurológicas permanentes e morte se não tratados adequadamente. O diagnóstico e tratamento precoces são fundamentais para o bom prognóstico neurológico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi despertar no anestesiologista maior sensibilidade para o diagnóstico e o tratamento precoces dos hematomas espinais, além de aperfeiçoar sua prevenção. RELATO DOS CASOS: Caso 1: Paciente submetido à anestesia peridural lombar para a realização de revascularização fêmuro-poplítea. Estava em uso de ácido acetilsalicílico, clopidogrel e enoxaparina, medicamentos suspensos antes da operação. O paciente evoluiu com paraplegia no pós-operatório imediato. Realizou-se descompressão neurocirúrgica após o diagnóstico, porém sem recuperação do quadro em longo prazo. Caso 2: Paciente submetido à anestesia peridural lombar para osteotomia em joelho direito, sem intercorrências. O paciente permaneceu sem queixas neurológicas até aproximadamente 48 horas, quando iniciou quadro de retenção urinária, dor em membro inferior direito, parestesias e dificuldade de movimentação dos pés. Foi feita ressonância nuclear magnética, a qual evidenciou hematoma peridural lombar, sendo realizada a descompressão cirúrgica imediata. Após 10 meses de reabilitação, houve recuperação neurológica completa. CONCLUSÕES: Os casos clínicos apresentados mostraram desfechos diferentes, destacando a importância do diagnóstico e do tratamento precoces para a boa evolução do quadro clínico. O diagnóstico pela ressonância nuclear magnética, com a descompressão precoce logo após as primeiras manifestações clínicas, permanece como tratamento padrão. A identificação dos pacientes de risco para sangramentos neuroaxiais, a mudança de técnica anestésica, assim como o estabelecimento de protocolos de avaliação neurológica pós-operatória nos pacientes submetidos aos bloqueios de neuroeixo...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Spinal hematomas are rare and they affect the central nervous system. They can cause permanent neurologic sequelae and death if they are not treated properly. Early diagnosis and treatment are fundamental for a good neurologic prognostic. The objective of this report was to emphasize for anesthesiologists the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of spinal hematomas, besides improving their prevention. CASE REPORTS: Case 1: The patient underwent epidural lumbar anesthesia for femoropopliteal revascularization. He was being treated with acetylsalicylic acid, clopidogrel, and enoxaparin, which were discontinued before the surgery. The patient developed paraplegia in the immediate postoperative period. Neurosurgical decompression was performed after the diagnosis, but without recovery in the long run. Case 2: The patient underwent epidural lumbar anesthesia for right knee osteotomy, without intercurrences. The patient remained without neurological complaints until approximately 48 hours after the surgery when he developed urinary retention, pain in the right lower limb, paresthesias, and difficulty moving both feet. The MRI showed an epidural lumbar hematoma, and the patient underwent immediate surgical decompression. He showed complete neurological recovery after 10 months of rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical cases presented here showed different outcomes, indicating the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for a good evolution. Diagnosis by MRI with early decompression shortly after the development of the first clinical manifestations remains the standard treatment. Identification of patients at risk for neuraxial bleeding and change in anesthetic technique, as well as the establishment of postoperative neurologic evaluation protocols in patients undergoing neuraxial anesthesia can contribute for prevention of severe neurologic sequelae.

JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: Los hematomas espinales son raros y acometen el sistema nervioso central. Pueden causar secuelas neurológicas permanentes e incluso la muerte si no se tratan adecuadamente. El diagnóstico y el tratamiento precoces son elementos fundamentales para el buen pronóstico neurológico. El objetivo de este trabajo fue despertar en el anestesiólogo una mayor sensibilidad hacia el diagnóstico y el tratamiento precoces de los hematomas espinales, además de perfeccionar su prevención. RELATO DE LOS CASOS: Caso 1: Paciente que fue sometido a la anestesia epidural lumbar para la realización de la revascularización femoro-poplítea. Estaba usando ácido acetilsalicílico, clopidogrel y enoxaparina, medicamentos que fueron suspendidos antes de la operación. El paciente evolucionó con paraplejia en el postoperatorio inmediato. Se realizó la descompresión neuro-quirúrgica posterior al diagnóstico, pero sin la recuperación del cuadro a largo plazo. Caso 2: Paciente que fue sometido a la anestesia epidural lumbar para la osteotomía en la rodilla derecha, sin intercurrencias. El paciente no presentó quejas neurológicas durante aproximadamente 48 horas, cuando inició el cuadro de retención urinaria, dolor en el miembro inferior derecho, parestesias y dificultad para mover los pies. Se realizó la resonancia nuclear magnética, que arrojó hematoma epidural lumbar, siendo realizada la descompresión quirúrgica inmediata. Después de 10 meses de rehabilitación, se verificó una recuperación neurológica completa. CONCLUSIONES: Los casos clínicos presentados aquí, arrojaron diferentes desenlaces, destacando la importancia del diagnóstico y del tratamiento precoces para una buena evolución del cuadro clínico. El diagnóstico por la resonancia nuclear magnética, con la rápida descompresión inmediatamente después de las primeras manifestaciones clínicas, permanece como un tratamiento estándar. La identificación de los pacientes de riesgo para sangramientos neuroaxiales...

Dolor radicular como forma de presentación de un hematoma epidural espontáneo / Radicular pain as way of presentation of a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: a case presentation

Las hemorragias espontáneas dentro del estuche espinal en las edades pediátricas son poco frecuentes. La sangre puede extenderse por el espacio epidural, subdural o intramedular y producir compresión de las estructuras neurales. El espacio epidural es la zona más vulnerable a sufrir el sangrado y dentro de éste su porción posterior. Objetivo: presentar un caso poco frecuente de hematoma epidural espinal cervical espontáneo que debutó con signos radiculares. Caso Clínico: paciente masculino de 14 años de edad con antecedentes de salud que es remitido a la consulta con una historia iniciada siete días antes, caracterizada por: dolor cervical bajo, de moderada intensidad de inicio brusco y que se irradiaba a los dermatomas cervicales 4 a 6 (C4-C6). Al examen físico se pudo constatar dolor al percutir las apófisis espinosas de C4 a C6, hiporreflexia bicipital y reducción de la fuerza en la pinza digital derecha. Se realizó una resonancia magnética nuclear cervical, donde se pudo diagnosticar un hematoma epidural espinal espontáneo que se extendía anteriormente desde C3 a C7. Se decidió el tratamiento médico y el paciente egresó a los doce días libre de manifestaciones clínicas. Conclusiones: la evolución clínica del paciente, el tamaño, la localización del hematoma y tiempo de evolución de la enfermedad son elementos a tener en cuenta a la hora de seleccionar la modalidad del tratamiento, el cual permitirá la reversibilidad de los síntomas y signos neurológicos así como el desarrollo de complicaciones tardías.

Spontaneous hemorrhages inside the spinal case in pediatric ages are not frequent. The blood may extend over the epidural, subdural or intramedular space, producing compression of neural structures. The epidural space is the most vulnerable area to suffer bleeding and inside of this, its posterior portion. Objective: to present an infrequent case of spontaneous cervical spinal epidural hematoma that started with radicular signs. Clinical case: a 14 years old, masculine patient with health antecedents is remitted to the consulting room with a history initiated seven days before, characterized for: low cervical pain of moderate intensity, of abrupt onset, irradiating to the 4 at 6 cervical dermatomes (C4-C6). To the physical examination was verified pain when striking the C4 to C6, bicipital hyporeflexia and reduction of the force in the right digital forceps. A cervical nuclear magnetic resonance was performed, where a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma was diagnosed that previously extended from C3 to C7. The medical treatment was decided, the patient was discharged to twelve days, free of clinical manifestations. Conclusions: the patient's clinical evolution, size, localization of the hematoma and the time of evolution of the disease are elements to keep in mind when selecting the modality of the treatment, which will allow the reversibility of symptoms and neurological signs as well as the development of late complications.

Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Hematomas Associated With Acute Myocardial Infarction Treatment

Many studies have reported spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH). Although most cases are idiopathic, several are associated with thrombolytic therapy or anticoagulants. We report a case of SSEH coincident with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which caused serious neurological deficits. A 56 year old man presented with chest pain accompanied with back and neck pain, which was regarded as an atypical symptom of AMI. He was treated with nitroglycerin, aspirin, low molecular weight heparin, and clopidogrel. A spinal magnetic resonance image taken after paraplegia developed 3 days after the initial symptoms revealed an epidural hematoma at the cervical and thoracolumbar spine. Despite emergent decompressive surgery, paraplegia has not improved 7 months after surgery. A SSEH should be considered when patients complain of abrupt, strong, and non-traumatic back and neck pain, particularly if they have no spinal pain history.

Anestesia regional e anticoagulação / Regional anesthesia e anticoagulation

O desenvolvimento de fármacos antitrombóticos mais potentes e seguros e a disseminação da profilaxia antitrombótica perioperatória levaram a discussões polêmicas sobre o risco de desenvolvimento de hematoma espinhal após bloqueios neuroaxiais. Esta revisão traz recomendações baseadas nas publicações mais recentes que devem ser observadas rigorosamente para evitar complicações anestésicas potencialmente graves.

The development of more potent and safe antithrombotic medications and the widespread of the perioperative thromboprophylaxis lead to great discussion regarding the risk of spinal hematoma after neuroaxial blocks in these patients. This review brings recommendations based on the newest publications that should be strictly observed to prevent serious anesthetic complications.

Spontaneous idiopathic spinal epidural hematoma: two different presentations of the same disease / Hematoma epidural espinhal espontâneo: duas diferentes apresentações da mesma doença / Hematoma epidural espinal espontáneo: dos diferentes presentaciones clínicas de la misma enfermedad

We report two cases of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma with different clinical presentations without precipitating factors and a brief review of the literature. Our case first developed acute and had progressive cervical spinal cord signs that determined emergency decompressive laminectomy. On the other hand, the second patient, who was chronic, was operated almost five months after the initial symptoms and the radiological diagnosis was a large facet cyst. Early surgical intervention is the chosen treatment for spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas. Spinal surgeons should bear in mind that spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas may have different clinical presentations according to their location in order to perform a differential diagnosis.

Os autores relatam dois casos de hematoma epidural espinhal espontâneo com diferentes apresentações clínicas e sua revisão da literatura. O primeiro paciente apresentava sinais e sintomas de compressão medular cervical, necessitando de laminectomia de urgência, enquanto no segundo paciente, que era crônico, havia sintomatologia de lombociatalgia por compressão nervosa de evolução de cinco meses e com diagnóstico radiológico de cisto facetário. A intervenção cirúrgica precoce é o tratamento de escolha para os hematomas epidurais espinhais espontâneos. Os hematomas epidurais espinhais espontâneos, conforme a localização na coluna vertebral, diferem na apresentação clínica e no manejo. Na região lombar, o diagnóstico diferencial deve ser feito com patologias degenerativas.

Fueron relatados dos casos de hematoma epidural espinal espontáneo con diferentes presentaciones clínicas sin factores precipitantes, y fue hecha una breve revisión de la literatura. Nuestro caso 1 tuvo un desarrollo agudo y mostró señales progresivas en la columna cervical que determinaron una laminectomía descompresiva de emergencia. Por otro lado, el segundo paciente, crónico, fue operado casi cinco meses después de los síntomas iniciales y el diagnóstico radiológico fue de un gran quiste sinovial. La intervención quirúrgica temprana es el tratamiento de elección para hematomas espontáneos epidurales espinales. El tratamiento quirúrgico representa la forma más común de terapia para todos los tipos de presentaciones clínicas. Debemos considerar que el tratamiento conservador (o no) sea más común en casos de presentación leve, principalmente en pacientes con hematoma espinal crónico. Para realizar un diagnóstico diferencial, los cirujanos deben recordar que los hematomas epidurales espinales espontáneos pueden tener distintas presentaciones clínicas según su ubicación.

Effect of preloading epidural space with normal saline on the incidence of injury to blood vessel by epidural catheter placement for cesarean section / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To evaluate the effect of preloading the epidural space with normal saline (NS) on the incidence of injury to blood vessel by epidural catheter placement for cesarean section. Methods One hundred and fifty parturients with a single baby at full term in vertex presentation scheduled for cesarean section under continuous epidural anesthesia were randomly divided into 3 groups ( n = 50 each): Ⅰ group control; Ⅱ group NS needle attached to a 5 ml syringe. Loss of resistance was used to identify the epidural space. In group Ⅰ no fluid was injected into the epidural space before insertion of catheter; while in group Ⅱ and Ⅲ NS 5 ml with or without whom blood or blood tinted fluid was withdrawn from epidural catheter was recorded. Results The number of patients in whom blood or blood tinted fluid was withdrawn from epidural catheter was significantly lower in group Ⅱand Ⅲ than in group Ⅰ but was not significantly different between group Ⅱ and Ⅲ. Conclusion Preloading the epidural space with 5 ml NS can reduce the incidence of injury to blood vessel induced by insertion of epidural

CT myelography: application in detecting the site of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To evaluate the application of CT myelography (CTM) in detecting the site of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and analyze it's imaging features.Methods Six patients (3 women and 3 men) with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) were included, who met the criteria of the International Headache Classification (2nd edition, 2004). Five patients subsequently underwent whole spine MRI and all 6 patients underwent CTM. Autologous blood mixed with omnipaque (300 mg/ml) was injected followed by selective puncture at the leak site indicated by CTM. Results MRI was failed to find leak site in the 5 patients, whereas CTM successfully found leak sites in all 6 patients. There were 1 to 7 leak sites respectively with an average of 4.2 sites (totally 25 points). Leak sites at cervical (12 sites) and thoracic (12 sites) were more frequent than at lumbar (1 site). CTM was featured by linear leakage of the contrast medium along the spinal nerve roots, paraspinal collections of hyper-density contrast medium and beak-like enlargement of the nerve sleeves. All patients responded well to the treatment, with complete resolution of symptoms. Conclusion CTM has been shown to be a study of choice to accurately define the location and extent of a CSF leak.

Diagnosis and microsurgery of acute spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To investigate the diagnosis and the effect of microsurgery in patients with acute spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (ASSEH). Method Five patients with ASSEH treated with microsurgery and confirmed pathologically were retrospectively analyzed. Results The main clinical presentations were root pain and palsy. The main manifestations of MRI were long-segment epidural lesion of high intensity in T1 and T2-weighted images without enhancement. With the microsurgery system, laminectomy via posterior approach and hematoma removal were successfully undergone with full recovery in all cases. Conclusions MRI assisted with the main clinical symptoms may aid preoperative diagnosis in symptomatic ASSEH. Microsurgery is an effective method for treating ASSEH. Postoperative (rather than preoperative) spinal DSA is advantageous for exclusion of spinal vascular malformation in treating ASSEH.

The Poor Outcome of the Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Hematoma: Two Cases Report

We present two patients who had acute paraplegia with sensory loss due to spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH). One had myocardial infraction and the other had deep vein thrombosis, and the former was treated with anticoagulants and the latter was treated with thrombolytic agent. We analyzed the neurological status of our two cases each between its preoperative and postoperative state. Postoperatively both showed no improvement of neurologic symptom, and on follow-up of 12 months, one showed no neurologic improvement and the other showed a insignificant improvement of lower extremity muscle power (trace knee extensor/ankle dorsi-flexor). We thought that this poor outcome was due to delayed operation, which was done more than 24 hr after the symptom onset. The outcome in SSEH is essentially determined by the time taken from symptom onset to operation. Therefore, early and precise diagnosis such as careful history taking and MRI evaluation is necessary.

A case of delayed cervical epidural hematoma with C5 nerve root palsy after posterior cervical laminoplasty / 北京大学学报(医学版)

SUMMARY Delayed postoperative spinal epidural hematoma(DPSEH) is a rare and potentially devastating complication of laminoplasty, and cervical nerve root palsy occurs more frequently than DPSEH, especially with C5 nerve root palsy. The authors describe a case of DPSEH with C5 nerve root palsy that developed in a patient 3 days after he underwent laminoplasty. In this case, a 78-year-old man with a history that having taken Aspirin without the doctor’s instruction for 5-6 years,he underwent cervical laminoplasty for mild myelopathy. On the 3rd postoperative day, he complained of weakness of his left upper extremity and could not raise his left arm. The symptom aggravated in the next few days. On the 9th postoperative day, there was an obvious motor deficit of both upper and lower extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated abnormal signal characteristics consistent with a hematoma at levels C3-C4, compressing spinal cord. The clot was evacuated during emergency revision surgery, and the postoperative course after the operation was uneventful and the muscle strength was improved five days later. Therefore, the symptoms of DPSEH are not so typical that its possibility should be kept in mind. Sometimes a differential diagnosis should be made with C5 nerve root palsy which may only represent weakness of upper extremities. The authors recommend that magnetic resonance imaging is helpful for the diagnosis of DPSEH and a revision surgery should be taken as soon as possible once the hematoma causing the neurologic deterioration was confirmed.