Spontaneous Intracranial and Spinal Subdural Hematoma: A Case Report

Spinal subdural hematoma (SDH) is rarely reported, and their simultaneous occurrence with intracranial SDH is even more rare. A 67-year-old male patient with a history of posterolateral fusion to treat an L2 burst fracture came to our outpatient clinic due to an inability to walk by himself over the previous 3 weeks. A neurological examination revealed that the patient was alert with occasional confusion and slight motor weakness in the lower extremities. Brain and lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was then performed. A brain MRI revealed a large subacute SDH along the right cerebral convexity and falx cerebri with midline shifting, and a spine MRI revealed a right side-predominant subacute SDH extending from L4 to S1. For treatment, burr hole trephination of the intracranial SDH and fluoroscopy-guided lumbar puncture of the spinal SDH were performed and resulted in a favorable outcome. This is a report of a rare case of spontaneous intracranial and lumbar spine SDH. We include a review of the current literature and a discussion of the pathogenesis of this condition in this report.