Citation

Rangwala SD, Birk DM, Tobin MK, Hahn YS, Nikas DC. Pediatr. Neurosurg. 2016; 52(1): 51-54.

Affiliation

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ill., USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Karger Publishers)

DOI

10.1159/000448737

PMID

27644085

Abstract

Nonaccidental head injury, as seen in domestic child abuse cases, is often associated with spinal injury, and spinal subdural hematoma is the most frequent diagnosis. While spinal epidural hematomas are a rare occurrence, the incidence of spontaneous epidural hematomas occurring in nonaccidental head injury patients is even lower. Epidural hematomas often result in acute focal neurological deficits necessitating emergent neurosurgical intervention. In patients without focal neurological deficits, conservative management may allow for spontaneous resolution of the epidural hematoma. The authors present the case of a 2-year-old boy with a large spinal epidural hematoma resulting after an event of nonaccidental injury, specifically, domestic child abuse. This patient exhibited no focal neurological deficits and was managed conservatively without surgical clot evacuation. On a follow-up visit, repeat imaging studies demonstrated a stable resolution of spinal epidural hematoma, providing further support for the safety of conservative management in these patients.

© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Language: en