Acute epidural hematoma of the cervical spine: an unusual cause of neck pain.

Cervical spinal epidural hematoma is an unusual neurosurgical disorder that usually requires emergent surgical decompressive therapy. We report the case of an 85-year-old woman with acute, severe neck and shoulder pain with progressive neurologic deficits. A computed tomography scan of the neck revealed an acute cervical spinal epidural hematoma. This case involves an unusual cause of neck pain in an elderly patient with no history of trauma. It is incumbent on the emergency physician to recognize this disorder and arrange emergent neurosurgical consultation to ensure an optimal outcome. Further, the differential diagnosis of neck pain and progressive neurologic findings should include this entity.