Spontaneous cervical spinal epidural hematoma in a 12-year-old girl: case report and review of the literature.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas of the cervical spine are rare in the pediatric population. Common presentation includes neck pain and rapidly progressive quadriparesis. We report the case of a 12-year-old African-American girl with no history of trauma, who presented with a 2-day history of neck pain and cervical myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a spinal epidural hematoma compressing the cervical cord. Emergent surgical decompression led to complete resolution of symptoms. Spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of myelopathy, and, when confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging, surgical decompression should be performed on an emergent basis.