Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in a pregnant patient.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is a rare occurrence during pregnancy with only five cases described in the literature since 1900. Even in the general population, the frequency of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is extremely low and the etiology unclear. Several theories exist for the cause of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma, however, none has gained uniform acceptance. A case of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma during pregnancy in a 27-year-old, gravida 2, para 1, female at term with 36 hours duration of both paresthesia and progressive weakness of the lower extremities is presented. In addition, all previous known cases are summarized, including outcome. We hypothesize that the cause of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma is multifactorial, and pregnancy-induced structural changes in arterial walls and hemodynamic changes may play a role. In addition, we postulate that the origin of the bleeding is arterial, rather then venous. Lastly, the symptoms, diagnosis, and management of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma during pregnancy are discussed. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Inc.