Traumatic cervical hematomyelia: report of a rare spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality.

Spinal hematomyelia is the term used to signify hemorrhage within the gray matter of the spinal cord. This is a separate pathologic entity from an epidural or subdural hematoma where the hemorrhage lies in the spinal cord. Hematomyelia has been described on a number of occasions arising as a complication of intraspinal arteriovenous malformations (AVM), systemic anticoagulation, and traumatic delivery of neonates.(1-14) However, they can rarely result from direct trauma to the spine. We describe a patient with traumatic hematomyelia of the cervical spine without an associated fracture, with resolution and recovery with conservative management.