[Spinal epidural hematoma in children and adolescents]

This paper describes the course of disease in an 11-year old boy with spinal epidural hematoma (SEH), and subsequently surveys 27 cases of SEH in children and young people. This group is compared in respect of aetiology, localization, symptoms and prognosis with the group of adults with SEH. This is followed by a suggestion of a nosological classification on aetiological lines taking the age distribution into consideration. The need for early operative decompression is stressed.