Clinical features of spinal cord hemangioblastoma complicated by hematomyelia and subarachnoid hemorrhage: Description of a clinical case and review of literature

Abstract

The paper describes subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and hematomyelia resulting from bleeding from spinal hemangioblastoma. SAH is encountered in spinal pathology extremely rarely and results from bleeding from malformations in most cases. The described case demonstrates that the tumors may also cause spinal SAH even there is no clinical evidence of gradually progressive spinal cord compression in the history. Patients with hemangioblastoma are at the highest risk for clinically relevant massive bleeding in intramedullary tumors. In this case, of special attention is its clinical picture: SAH began with neck and arm pain, rather than headache, which indicates the primarily spinal level of bleeding. Head and arm pains were joined by SAH -typical headache, nausea, and vomiting in only a few minutes, which was associated with retrograde blood flow into the basal cisterns of the brain and the fourth ventricle. Primary MRI of the cervical spine was a more rational diagnostic scheme in this case.