Paraplegia due to spinal epidural hematoma after mitral valve surgery: report of a case

Spinal epidural hematomas are rare entities that can be associated with spinal traumatic injuries and vascular lesions or that can spontaneously arise. Several reports have linked these hematomas to heart valve surgery. We herein describe a 71-year-old female patient who developed postoperative paraplegia immediately after mitral valve repair. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an epidural hematoma of the spinal cord from C7 to Th4. A laminectomy was not performed because the patient's paraplegia gradually improved. After continuous rehabilitation, the patient regained sufficient muscle strength to perform standing exercises. She is presently capable of routine activities at home and is undergoing bethanechol chloride treatment for a neurogenic urinary bladder. Motor and sensory deficits of both lower limbs in a patient that arise immediately after heart surgery must be examined by early imaging to rule out space-occupying pathologies such as spinal epidural hematomas.