Cervical epidural hematoma after snowboarding injury--case report

A 21-year-old man developed cervical spinal epidural hematoma one month after a snowboarding injury. He fell down while snowboarding and hit his occiput. Immediately after the injury, he suffered hypesthesic pain in the C-8 area associated with dull neck pain, which persisted for a month. Radiography of the cervical spine detected no pathological findings. The second attack of pain occurred when he was resting, followed by paraparesis and loss of urinary sensation within 24 hours. Emergent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging demonstrated an epidural hematoma at the levels of C-7 to T-2 which compressed the spinal cord. During the operation for removal of the hematoma, arterial rebleeding occurred from a small artery in the dural sac on the right C-8 root, which was thought to be responsible for the hematoma. The patient was discharged with no neurological deficits. Snowboarding-related injuries occur with higher frequency and involve greater risks compared to skiing-related injuries. Repeat MR imaging is strongly recommended to follow up any spinal injury, particularly in cases associated with focal neurological signs.