Lhermitte’s Sign Due to Epidural Hematoma after Cervical Laminectomy: A Case Report

Lhermitte’s sign describes an electric shock-like sensation that radiates down the trunk and limbs with flexion of the neck. This symptom may show injury of spinal cord at cervical levels. A 69-years-old male had C3-4-5 cervical spinal stenosis and myelopathy. The patient described an electric shock-like sensation which radiated to limbs at postoperative 12th hour after C3-4-5 left sided unilateral hemilaminectomy and bilateral decompression. There was an epidural hematoma that compressed spinal cord at the level of hemilaminectomy in magnetic resonance imaging. We performed an immediate surgery and evacuated the hematoma. Lhermitte’s sign dissapeared after surgery. Lhermitte’s sign could be seen in various conditions and the pathophysiology is described as the demyelination of dorsal column of the spinal cord, at the cervical level. It has poor sensitivity but good specificity in cervical compressive myelopathy. Postoperative new onset Lhermitte’s sign can indicate cord compression. The patient must be evaluated with further examinations