Spontaneous cervical epidural haematoma during pregnancy

Abstract

Spontaneous cervical epidural haematoma is very rare during pregnancy. We describe a woman who presented with tetraplegia at 41 weeks of pregnancy. She had no previous history of any relevant medical disorder. Her upper level of anaesthesia was at the second thoracic segment. The condition was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging, and both caesarean section and decompression were conducted 12 hours after the event. The neurological deficit showed little recovery. Histology was non-specific and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed spinal cord ischaemia. The prognosis in this condition depends on the interval of time between onset and decompression.