1/540. Spinal epidural hematoma and high thromboembolic risk: between Scylla and Charybdis. OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal time for reinstitution of anticoagulant therapy after evacuation of spinal epidural hematoma in patients who have a high risk for cardiogenic embolization. MATERIAL AND methods: The clinical histories of all patients with a spinal epidural hematoma encountered at Mayo Clinic Rochester between 1975 and 1996 were reviewed. We present three cases of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma and the management of anticoagulation in each case. RESULTS: Of the 17 patients identified, 3 received anticoagulant therapy at the onset of the hematoma and were at high risk for cardiogenic embolization. In two patients with a metallic heart valve and one patient with long-standing atrial fibrillation, anticoagulant therapy was discontinued for 5, 13, and 18 days, respectively, after decompressive laminectomy. Systemic embolization occurred in one patient with a previous history of embolization to the femoral artery. No systemic embolization occurred in the two patients with a metallic valve. CONCLUSION: Early resumption of warfarin therapy is indicated after a spinal surgical procedure; however, discontinuation of anticoagulation for several days seems safe while postoperative hemostasis is monitored. ( info) |
2/540. Epileptic falling spells after epidural haematoma in adult Down's syndrome. A 35-year-old man with Down's syndrome showed epileptic falling spells. He had suffered from a traumatic right-sided epidural haematoma 3 years before. It had been neurosurgically treated, but MRI taken 5 days later had revealed a small contracoup contusion at the left temporal lobe. His falling spell was a brief tonic seizure without disturbance of consciousness. Background activities of EEG consisted of slow alpha waves interspersed with sporadic theta waves and the amplitude at the left temporal area was lower than the opposite one. Interictal EEG showed sharp waves or sharp and slow wave complexes predominantly at the right temporo-centro-parietal area as well as diffuse, though predominantly at frontal areas, bursts of slow waves with high amplitude. The EEG suggested focal epileptic activities evolving into secondary generalization. SPECT of the brain showed the hypoperfusion at the left temporal area and at the right posterotemporo-parietal area, where the hypoperfusion was somewhat reduced after the improvement of seizures. seizures were well controlled with phenytoin combined with phenobarbital. The incidence of epilepsy in the Down's syndrome has been reported to increase after the middle age in association with the development of Alzheimer's neuropathology. When those people would sustain head injuries, it was necessary to follow carefully using SPECT and EEG. ( info) |
3/540. Abrupt exacerbation of acute subdural hematoma mimicking benign acute epidural hematoma on computed tomography--case report. A 75-year-old male was hit by a car, when riding a bicycle. The diagnosis of acute epidural hematoma was made based on computed tomography (CT) findings of lentiform hematoma in the left temporal region. On admission he had only moderate occipitalgia and amnesia of the accident, so conservative therapy was administered. Thirty-three hours later, he suddenly developed severe headache, vomiting, and anisocoria just after a positional change. CT revealed typical acute subdural hematoma (ASDH), which was confirmed by emergent decompressive craniectomy. He was vegetative postoperatively and died of pneumonia one month later. Emergent surgical exploration is recommended for this type of ASDH even if the symptoms are mild due to aged atrophic brain. ( info) |
| The development of a right exophthalmos in a patient with a left hemispheric epidural hematoma is reported. The parallel development of these two conditions in this unusual case suggests some direct relationship, although it must be recognized that a coincidental relationship is possible. The exact cause of the exophthalmos remains obscure. ( info) |
5/540. Bilateral epidural hematoma in a pyknodysostotic child. Pyknodysostosis is a rarely encountered disease. It is characterized by abnormal facial development, fragility of the bones with relatively mild trauma, cranial abnormalities including widely opened sutures and fontanels frontal bossing, wrinkled skin, finger and nail abnormalities. In the literature, pyknodysostosis was reported only as case reports. Here, we describe a pyknodysostotic child with a bilateral parietal epidural hematoma, caused by a relatively mild head trauma. He was operated on, and the hematoma was evacuated through two different parietal craniotomies. We reported this case, since pyknodysostosis is a rare disease, and our case is the first one who had a surgical intervention as well as being the first with an epidural hematoma in pyknodysostosis. ( info) |
6/540. Epidural hematoma following epidural catheter placement in a patient with chronic renal failure. PURPOSE: We report a case of epidural hematoma in a surgical patient with chronic renal failure who received an epidural catheter for postoperative analgesia. Symptoms of epidural hematoma occurred about 60 hr after epidural catheter placement. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 58-yr-old woman with a history of chronic renal failure was admitted for elective abdominal cancer surgery. Preoperative laboratory values revealed anemia, hematocrit 26%, and normal platelet, PT and PTT values. General anesthesia was administered for surgery, along with epidural catheter placement for postoperative analgesia. Following uneventful surgery, the patient completed an uneventful postoperative course for 48 hr. Then, the onset of severe low back pain, accompanied by motor and sensory deficits in the lower extremities, alerted the anesthesia team to the development of an epidural hematoma extending from T12 to L2 with spinal cord compression. Emergency decompressive laminectomy resulted in recovery of moderate neurologic function. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first case of epidural hematoma formation in a surgical patient with chronic renal failure (CRF) and epidural postoperative analgesia. The only risk factor for the development of epidural hematoma was a history of CRF High-risk patients should be monitored closely for early signs of cord compression such as severe back pain, motor or sensory deficits. An opioid or opioid/local anesthetic epidural solution, rather than local anesthetic infusion alone, may allow continuous monitoring of neurological function and be a prudent choice in high-risk patients. If spinal hematoma is suspected, immediate MRI or CT scan should be done and decompressive laminectomy performed without delay. ( info) |
7/540. Spontaneous chronic spinal epidural hematoma of the lumbar spine. We report an exceptional description of a spontaneous chronic spinal epidural hematoma presenting as lumbar radiculitis. The computed tomographic, magnetic resonance imaging, and intraoperative findings are presented. We discuss anatomical and pathophysiological considerations that could lead to such a condition. We estimate that spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas located in the ventral space are in fact premembranous or posterior longitudinal ligament hematomas. ( info) |
8/540. Epidural haematoma after removal of an epidural catheter in a patient receiving high-dose enoxaparin. A patient developed an epidural haematoma 6 days after removal of an epidural catheter resulting in paraplegia and death. Insertion and removal of the epidural catheter during anticoagulation with prophylactic unfractionated heparin and subsequent administration of high-dose enoxaparin (Clexane), which commenced 3 days after catheter removal, were implicated. ( info) |
9/540. 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. ( info) |
10/540. Spinal haematoma following epidural anaesthesia in a patient with eclampsia. A patient with a twin pregnancy required a Caesarean section for severe pre-eclampsia. Her platelet count was 71 x 10(9).l-1. Epidural anaesthesia was performed after platelet transfusion. A spinal epidural haematoma was diagnosed postoperatively. A generalised tonic-clonic seizure sparing the lower limbs enabled early diagnosis to be made. The patient recovered with no permanent neurological damage after laminectomy and clot removal. The risks and benefits of regional techniques require careful consideration, and postoperative monitoring for recovery of neural blockade is essential. ( info) |