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Case Reports
. 2021 Jan-Mar;16(1):61-64.
doi: 10.4103/jpn.JPN_170_18. Epub 2021 Jun 25.

Spontaneous Spinal Intramedullary Hematoma in an Infant: A Rare Entity and a Diagnostic Challenge

Vibhu Shankar Parashar  1 , Priyanka Aswal  2 , Tarun Kumar Gupta  1 , Gaurav Jaiswal  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Spontaneous Spinal Intramedullary Hematoma in an Infant: A Rare Entity and a Diagnostic Challenge

Vibhu Shankar Parashar et al. J Pediatr Neurosci. 2021 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Introduction: Spontaneous spinal intramedullary hematoma is a rare cause of acute paraplegia in adults and is extremely uncommon in children. Very few cases with no apparent etiology (such as trauma, vascular lesions) have been reported in adults. We did not find any apparent cause for the hematoma in our patient and to the best of our knowledge, this is first case reported in infants.

Case report: We present the case of a 6-month-old female child admitted with acute-onset paraplegia, bladder bowel involvement, and no history of trauma or bleeding diathesis. The MRI showed an intramedullary mass extending from the D11-L1 level. The mass was excised and histopathology revealed it to be an organizing hematoma.

Conclusion: Our case highlights that though it is a rare entity, there is a need for more awareness when dealing with children with sudden paraplegia, acute retention of urine, or neurological deficit. Early diagnosis and prompt surgery are crucial to achieve the best neurological outcome.

Keywords: Idiopathic cause; intramedullary location; organizing hematoma; rare entity; spontaneous spinal hematoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MRI of lumbosacral spine shows intramedullary lesion with T1W sequence without contrast
Figure 2
Figure 2
MRI of lumbosacral spine shows intramedullary lesion withT1W sequence with contrast
Figure 3
Figure 3
Photomicrograph showing microscopic findings of an organizing hematoma on H&E stain
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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