Central nervous system superficial siderosis related to spinal lesions

Abstract

Superficial siderosis is a rare disease of the central nervous system, which is characterized by chronic intrathecal hemorrhage leading to hemosiderin deposition on the leptomeninges and subpial layers of the brain and spinal cord. Patients with the syndrome typically present with sensorineural hearing loss, myelopathy, cerebellar ataxia, pyramidal signs, and cognitive impairment. The most common etiologies of the disease include bleeding of unknown cause, ruptured aneurysms, arteriovenous malformation, and traumatic injury of the brain. Here, we describe two patients diagnosed with superficial siderosis caused by spinal lesions, which is an unusual cause of chronic bleeding due to the presence of the disease.

Keywords

• Cerebrospinal fluid leak
• Ependymoma
• Spine tumor
• Superficial siderosis