Spinal epidural hematoma without lesion of the spine. Report of 4 cases.

The authors report 4 cases of spinal epidural hematoma without a lesion of the spine. The medical literature relating to this subject is reviewed with special reference to the pathophysiology of the bleeding. There are arguments in favor of the venous origin as well the arterial origin of the bleeding. As far as recovery following surgical treatment is concerned, the history of our cases confirms the opinion that the prognosis depends on two factors: the delay between onset of symptoms and operation and the severity of the neurological deficit.