Spinal epidural hematoma caused by extradural arteriovenous malformation: a case report and review of the literature.

About 330 cases of spinal epidural hematoma have been reported in the literature but few cases had pathologically proven extradural arteriovenous malformation. The authors report a case of spinal epidural hematoma caused by extradural arteriovenous malformation. The patient presented with a sudden onset of back pain followed by rapidly progressive neurological deficit. MRI was the procedure of choice for diagnosis of this lesion. Treatment was emergency surgical decompression. Prognosis depends on the preoperative neurological deficit, operative interval and localization of the hematoma.