Nontraumatic acute and subacute enhancing spinal epidural hematoma mimicking a tumor in a child.

We describe a 10-year-old boy who presented with acute onset of neck pain and neurologic symptoms caused by a spinal epidural hematoma. An enhancing mass, which mimicked a tumor, was seen on MR imaging of the cervical spine. The uptake of gadolinium in the mass and the associated mass effect suggested a tumor etiology. Such spinal epidural hematomas are extremely rare in the pediatric population. Additionally, it is even more uncommon for spinal epidural hematomas to resemble tumors. It is important to consider this entity when an enhancing epidural mass is found on MRI in the setting of an acute presentation. Copyright 2004 Springer-Verlag