Subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a spinal cord hemangioblastoma: case report

A case of solitary spinal hemangioblastoma with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage is presented. There was no features to distinguish the subarachnoid hemorrhage in this case from that due to an intracranial lesion. However, mild sensory symptoms involving the left arm and leg had preceded the hemorrhage by several months. The lesion was detected by cerebral angiography and computed tomographic scanning, and the diagnosis was confirmed at operation. A small syrinx was noted, and the lesion was totally removed without causing any deficit, despite its origin from the dorsum of the spinal cord. The tumor contained a false aneurysm, which had been visualized angiographically.