Subacute spinal subdural hematoma associated with intracranial subdural hematoma

Lumbosacral subdural hematoma associated with cranial subdural hematoma and craniocerebral surgery: Three cases and a systemic literature review

OBJECTIVE

The authors aim to focus on lumbosacral subdural hematoma (SDH) associated with cranial subdural hematoma and craniocerebral surgery, which has been rarely reported.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

They present 3 cases of lumbosacral SDH, including 2 associated with cranial chronic SDH and 1 following craniotomy for neck clipping of cerebral aneurysm. Using a PubMed search, they also provide a systemic literature review to summarize pathogenesis, treatment and outcome.

RESULTS

All cases presented with bilateral radiating leg pain, and recovered completely by conservative managements. Predisposing factors were trauma, anticoagulant therapy and brain atrophy. Literature review revealed 54 such cases, in which 28 cases associated with cranial SDH and 26 cases associated with craniocerebral surgery. In both group, main symptoms were low back and radiating leg pain, and sensorimotor deficits. Regardless of treatments, conservatively or surgically, outcome was favorable. Migration of cranial hematoma is most supported pathogenesis, while intracranial hypotension due to cerebrospinal fluid overdrainage procedures may also be a contributing factor for cases associated with craniocerebral surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Lumbosacral SDH should be considered in patients present with unexpected low back and radiating leg pains associated with cranial SDH and craniocerebral surgery. Conservative treatment would be reasonable for cases with mild symptoms as the first treatment of choice.

Simultaneous Spinal and Intracranial Chronic Subdural Hematoma Cured by Craniotomy and Laminectomy: A Video Case Report

Simultaneous spinal and intracranial chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a rare entity. A 67-year-old man visited our hospital due to headache after diving into a river 2 weeks before. Non-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed bilateral intracranial CSDH. The bilateral CSDH was evacuated and his symptoms improved. Three days after craniotomy, he complained of sensory disturbance on his buttocks. Lumbar MRI showed a space-occupying lesion behind the thecal sac at L5. CT with myelography showed a subdural mass lesion; there was no communication with the subarachnoid space. Fourteen days after craniotomy, L5 laminectomy was performed and the dura mater was incised carefully. The video shows that a liquid hematoma similar to the intracranial CSDH flowed out, followed by cerebrospinal fluid. His symptoms improved after the operation and the hematoma did not recur. This is a rare condition of spinal CSDH demonstrated by neuroimaging and intraoperative video.

Traumatic Spinal Subdural Hematoma with Intracranial Subdural Hematoma

Traumatic spinal subdural hematoma associated with intracranial subdural hematoma is a rare condition. Herein, we report the case of a 62-year-old man with lower back pain, radiating pain, and numbness in both lower extremities, without motor weakness, for 2 weeks. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed high signal intensity on T1-weighted image (WI), and low signal intensity on T2-WI from L2 to L5. Two weeks after conservative management, follow-up lumbar MRI did not show the hematoma and his symptoms were relieved and there was no neurological deficit; therefore, he was discharged. However, subsequently, intracranial subdural hematoma increased and upper extremity motor weakness appeared. This was treated surgically. If there is no neurological deficit, conservative treatment may be a good option. Follow-up evaluation for asymptomatic cranial subdural hematoma is necessary.

Concurrent intracranial and spinal subdural hematoma in a teenage athlete: a case report of this rare entity

A 15-year-old male high school football player presented with episodes of headache and complete body stiffness, especially in the arms, lower back, and thighs, immediately following a football game. This was accompanied by severe nausea and vomiting for several days. Viral meningitis was suspected by the primary clinician, and treatment with corticosteroids was initiated. Over the next several weeks, there was gradual symptom improvement and the patient returned to his baseline clinical status. The patient experienced a severe recurrence of the previous myriad of symptoms following a subsequent football game, without an obvious isolated traumatic episode. In addition, he experienced a new left sided headache, fatigue, and difficulty ambulating. He was admitted and an extensive workup was performed. CT and MRI of the head revealed concurrent intracranial and spinal subdural hematomas (SDH). Clinical workup did not reveal any evidence of coagulopathy or predisposing vascular lesions. Spinal SDH is an uncommon condition whose concurrence with intracranial SDH is an even greater clinical rarity. We suggest that our case represents an acute on chronic intracranial SDH with rebleeding, membrane rupture, and symptomatic redistribution of hematoma to the spinal subdural space.

Spontaneous spinal subdural hematoma of intracranial origin presenting as back pain

BACKGROUND

Spinal subdural hematoma (SDH) is an uncommon condition mainly associated with bleeding dyscrasias, use of anticoagulants, trauma, iatrogenic procedures, and vascular malformations. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are recommended to prevent progressive neurologic compromise. Spinal SDH concomitant with intracranial SDH is an even rarer entity, with few cases reported in the English literature. Here we present a case of spontaneous spinal SDH with intracranial SDH presenting as sacral back pain in a 70-year-old man. We also describe the potential mechanism, treatment, and prognosis of concomitant spinal and intracranial SDH.

CASE REPORT

We report an unusual case of spontaneous spinal SDH concomitant with intracranial SDH and discuss the epidemiology, clinical presentation, potential etiology, treatment, and prognosis of this disease. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Awareness of the association between spinal SDH and intracranial SDH can expedite appropriate imaging of both brain and spine, which can lead to a more complete diagnosis and require changes in patient management in the emergency setting.

Prospective assessment of concomitant lumbar and chronic subdural hematoma: is migration from the intracranial space involved in their manifestation?

Object

Spinal subdural hematomas (SDHs) are rare and some are concomitant with intracranial SDH. Their pathogenesis and etiology remain to be elucidated although their migration from the intracranial space has been suggested. The authors postulated that if migration plays a major role, patients with intracranial SDH may harbor asymptomatic lumbar SDH. The authors performed a prospective study on the incidence of spinal SDH in patients with intracranial SDH to determine whether migration is a key factor in their concomitance.

Methods

The authors evaluated lumbar MR images obtained in 168 patients (125 males, 43 females, mean age 75.6 years) with intracranial chronic SDH to identify cases of concomitant lumbar SDH. In all cases, the lumbar MRI studies were performed within the 1st week after surgical irrigation of the intracranial SDH.

Results

Of the 168 patients, 2 (1.2%) harbored a concomitant lumbar SDH; both had a history of trauma to both the head and the hip and/or lumbar area. One was an 83-year-old man with prostate cancer and myelodysplastic syndrome who suffered trauma to his head and lumbar area in a fall from his bed. The other was a 70-year-old man who had hit his head and lumbar area in a fall. Neither patient manifested neurological deficits and their hematomas disappeared under observation. None of the patients with concomitant lumbar SDH had sustained head trauma only, indicating that trauma to the hip or lumbar region is significantly related to the concomitance of SDH (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

As the incidence of concomitant lumbar and intracranial chronic SDH is rare and both patients in this study had sustained a direct impact to the head and hips, the authors suggest that the major mechanism underlying their concomitant SDH was double trauma. Another possible explanation is hemorrhagic diathesis and low CSF syndrome.

Lumbar pain with intracranial origin

A 48-year-old woman presented low-back pain radiating to the lower right leg. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine revealed a L4-L5 subacute subdural hematoma (SDH). The patient had no general or local cause for this lumbar SDH, such as coagulation disorder, trauma, surgery, or lumbar puncture. She had a history of post-traumatic bilateral hemorrhagic contusions of the brain and intracranial SDH because of a fall occurring several months before the current problems. A downward migration of the cerebral SDH was found as only potential explanation of the lumbar SDH. The association between the intracranial and spinal hematomas is discussed.

Delayed onset of spinal subdural hematoma after vertebroplasty for compression fracture: a case report

Vertebroplasty (VP) is a well-known therapeutic modality used to treat pain associated with vertebral compression fractures. Major complications such as cord or root compression, epidural and subdural hematomas (SDH) and pulmonary emboli, occur in less than 1% of patients who undergo VP after compression fracture. Spinal SDH is an extremely rare complication that usually happens a few hours after the procedure. We report a case of spinal SDH that developed at two weeks after a successful VP. We also reviewed related literatures and discussed its possible pathogenesis.

Spinal subdural hemorrhage in abusive head trauma: a retrospective study

PURPOSE

To compare the relative incidence, distribution, and radiologic characteristics of spinal subdural hemorrhage after abusive head trauma versus that after accidental trauma in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study received prior approval from the Human Subjects Protection Office. Informed consent was waived. This study was HIPAA compliant. Two hundred fifty-two children aged 0-2 years treated for abusive head trauma at our institute between 1997 and 2009 were identified through retrospective chart review. A second group of 70 children aged 0-2 years treated at our institute for well-documented accidental trauma between 2003 and 2010 were also identified through retrospective chart review. All clinical data and cross-sectional imaging results, including computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, spine, chest, abdomen, and pelvis, were reviewed for both of these groups. A Fisher exact test was performed to assess the statistical significance of the proportion of the spinal canal subdural hemorrhage in abusive head trauma versus that in accidental trauma.

RESULTS

In the abusive head trauma cohort, 67 (26.5%) of 252 children had evaluable spinal imaging results. Of these, 38 (56%) of 67 children had undergone thoracolumbar imaging, and 24 (63%) of 38 had thoracolumbar subdural hemorrhage. Spinal imaging was performed in this cohort 0.3-141 hours after injury (mean, 23 hours ± 27 [standard deviation]), with 65 (97%) of 67 cases having undergone imaging within 52 hours of injury. In the second cohort with accidental injury, only one (1%) of 70 children had spinal subdural hemorrhage at presentation; this patient had displaced occipital fracture. The comparison of incidences of spinal subdural hemorrhage in abusive head trauma versus those in accidental trauma was statistically significant (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Spinal canal subdural hemorrhage was present in more than 60% of children with abusive head trauma who underwent thoracolumbar imaging in this series but was rare in those with accidental trauma.

A rare, high cervical traumatic spinal subdural hematoma

Spinal subdural hematomas (SSDH) are rare lesions occurring in association with a wide variety of conditions, including anticoagulation, coagulation disorders, spinal anesthesia, lumbar puncture, spinal tumors and vascular malformations. SSDH resulting from trauma are the exception. We present a 62-year-old woman with a rare post-traumatic focal SSDH at C1 with bulbomedullary compression, treated successfully with surgery. A review of the literature revealed 26 patients with traumatic SSDH. The aim of this report is to describe the clinical presentation, imaging characteristics and management of traumatic SSDH. The controversial pathogenesis is also discussed.