Vascular malformations as a cause of spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma

Seven cases of spinal epidural haematoma occurred in a series of 2,500 neurosurgical procedures. Five of these seven cases were non-traumatic in origin. In four cases the bleeding could be ascribed to various types of vascular malformations. The clinical and histological features are described, and the relevance of these findings for surgical management is discussed.