Lumbar Subdural Hematoma Detected After Surgical Treatment of Chronic Intracranial Subdural Hematoma

Abstract

Background: Spinal subdural hematoma (SSDH), which can cause lower back pain, leg pain, and leg weakness, is rare and will usually be associated with a bleeding tendency, trauma, spinal vascular malformation, intraspinal tumor, or iatrogenic invasion. Only a few cases of SSDH after intracranial chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) have been reported. We report a case of lumbar SSDH in the absence of predisposing factors after reoperation for recurrent intracranial CSDH, which improved with conservative treatment.

Case description: Approximately 1 month after falling, a 63-year-old woman was experiencing left hemiparesis and impaired orientation that was diagnosed as right intracranial CSDH using computed tomography. Surgical treatment of the CSDH led to immediate improvement of her symptoms. On postoperative day 29, the right CSDH had recurred with left hemiparesis, and successful reoperation relieved the symptoms within a few hours postoperatively. However, 1 day after the second operation, very small acute subdural hematomas in regions along the left tentorium cerebelli and left falx cerebri were found on computed tomography. On day 31, she complained of sitting-induced bilateral radiating lower limb pain. Magnetic resonance imaging on day 34 showed an acute SSDH at the L4-L5 level and a sacral perineural cyst filled with hematoma, although her radiating pain was showing improvement. She was treated conservatively and was discharged without symptoms on day 44.

Conclusions: Although SSDH is rare, it is important for neurosurgeons and physicians to consider the possibility of a SSDH when lower limb pain or paresis occurs after procedures that will result in rapid intracranial pressure alterations such as drainage of an intracranial CSDH.

Keywords: Bridging vein; Intracranial chronic subdural hematoma; Magnetic resonance imaging; Migration; Spinal subdural hematoma.