PubMed, the Internet portal of biomedical and life sciences literature, indexed an interesting article, entitled Spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma in a 15-month-old boy presenting with a wry neck: a case report (J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2007 Dec;15(3):373-5.). Authors are Fok WM Sun LK Wong NM et al, from the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong. A 15-month-old boy presented with a 2-day history of a wry neck with no definite trauma. He had bilateral upper limb weakness and was afebrile, conscious, and stable. There was no spontaneous movement in both upper limbs. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical and thoracic spine demonstrated an extensive spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma from C3 to T8. 23 hours after admission, the patient underwent an emergency right-sided C3 to T8 hemi-laminectomy and haematoma evacuation.The patent’s strength gradually recovered. Spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma is a rare disease in children. A high index of suspicion is essential for its effective management as the interval to operation is the most important prognostic factor. To access the full abstract of the article, click here.
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