Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in a pediatric hemophiliac

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas (SSEH), unrelated to trauma, epidural anesthesia, or surgery, are rare in the pediatric population. Here, a 1-year-old male with hemophilia presented with a magnetic resonance (MR)-documented SSEH and was successfully treated with a C5-T10 right hemilaminectomy.

A 1-year-old male with hemophilia presented with quadriparesis. The holo-spine magnetic resonance imaging with contrast showed a posterior cervicothoracic compressive epidural lesion extending from C3 to L1 consistent with an epidural hematoma. He underwent a C5 to T10 right-sided hemilaminectomy for clot removal, following which his motor deficits fully resolved. A literature review of SSEH attributed to hemophilia revealed that 28 of 38 cases were effectively treated conservatively, while only 10 cases warranted surgical decompression.

Select patients with SSEH attributed to hemophilia with severe MR-documented cord/cauda equina compromise and significant accompanying neurological deficits may require emergent surgical decompression.