Back Pain and Inability to Walk in a Young Girl

Abstract

A 20-year-old woman presented to the emergency department (ED) with progressive weakness, paresthesia, and back pain lasting for 8 days. She was conscious and her vital signs were normal. Her past medical history was unremarkable. No abnormality was found on radiography and computed tomography (CT). However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an intramedullary mass at the dorsal cord at approximately the T8-T9 level, accompanied by mild perilesional edema. Consequently, the patient was diagnosed with hemangioma. The patient underwent preoperative embolization, with minimal bleeding during surgery. (JAEM 2015; 14: 47-8)