Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in a 14-year-old girl. Case report and review of the literature.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is a rare cause of spinal cord compression in adults and even rarer in children. It is characterized by a sudden onset of acute back pain followed by acute neurological deterioration within a few hours. We report the case of a 14-year-old girl who presented with acute onset of back pain and progressive weakness of her lower limbs, to the point of being unable to stand or walk. CT imaging disclosed an acute thoracic spinal epidural hematoma. The hematoma was emergently evacuated. Postoperative examination disclosed no neurological deficit. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel