Case report reveals acute paraplegia from a hemorrhagic schwannoma after cesarean delivery, highlighting the need for prompt neuroimaging to detect structural lesions.
Key Points
To describe a rare case of acute postpartum paraplegia caused by a hemorrhagic cervicodorsal schwannoma that mimicked a complication of neuraxial anesthesia.
Evaluation of a 34-year-old woman presenting with flaccid paraplegia and urinary retention after an emergency cesarean section under spinal anesthesia.
Diagnostic investigation using emergent spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), followed by urgent surgical decompression and histopathological tumor examination.
Spinal MRI demonstrated an intradural extramedullary cervicodorsal mass with cord compression, confirmed upon excision as a schwannoma with extensive intratumoral hemorrhage.
Cerebrospinal fluid testing excluded central nervous system infection following postoperative fever and elevated inflammatory markers.
Despite emergent surgical decompression, no meaningful neurological recovery occurred during hospitalization, requiring referral for comprehensive neurorehabilitation.