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

ABSTRACT

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.