Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma – an uncommon cause of acute neurologic deficit in the emergency department: a case report

SSEH is a time critical neurosurgical emergency that should be suspected in patients with acute onset axial neck or back pain and rapidly progressive myelopathic signs. Emergency physicians should use bedside discriminators like axial pain, sensory level, sphincter involvement and cranial nerve sparing to trigger urgent spine MRI and early surgical consultation when SSEH is suspected. This recognition is central to optimizing prognosis and guiding realistic counselling.