[Paraplegia caused by extradural spinal hematoma after radical pulmonary lobectomy in cancer]

The authors report a case of spinal cord complication after surgery for lung cancer. Amongst the 12 cases published in the literature, only one reports spinal cord ischaemia secondary to a compressive mechanism by spinal extradural haematoma. In the present case, due to an identical mechanism, paraplegia developed as a result of intraoperative meningeal rupture during extension of a pulmonary lobectomy for cancer to the adjacent vertebrae. The diagnosis was established by CT scan combined with emergency myelography. Certain preventative measures are proposed based on analysis of the mechanisms of this complication.