Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2025
Author Spotlight: Assessing Ischemic Stroke Damage Through Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model
Published on: August 11, 2023
Spontaneous cervicothoracic epidural misinterpreted as transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Sandeep Bhardwaj1, Manish Chaurasiya2, Sunit Shah1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Advanced Neurology and Superspeciality Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Background:
The acute onset of a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is an uncommon cause of spinal cord compression. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to avoid significant residual postoperative neurological deficits.
Case Description:
A 15-year-old male presented with the sudden onset of a hemiparesis which recovered (4/5 weakness). The brain MR was negative, but spinal MRI revealed a dorsolateral extradural lesion extending from C7 to D1. At surgery, this proved to be a hematoma that we readily removed.
Conclusion:
Spontaneous epidural hematomas are rare. They should be diagnosed promptly with MR, and typically warrant urgent/emergent surgical excision. Further, cases of SSEH resulting in hemiparesis may occasionally be misdiagnosed as attributed to a stroke or transient ischemic attack.
