Recovery from paraplegia caused by spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma

Three surgically treated cases of paraplegia caused by spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma are reported, along with summarized findings from 32 previously reported cases. Patients who recovered within 6 months had endured a shorter interval between loss of their ability to walk and surgical decompression than patients who did not recover (26 hours versus 48 hours; p less than 0.02). When this interval exceeded approximately 36 hours, the probability of recovery fell below 50 percent.