Spontaneous spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage : a complication of alcohol withdrawal therapy

BACKGROUND: Non-traumatic spontaneous idiopathic spinal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SSH) is extremely rare. So far, only 12 cases have been described in the literature and there are no data regarding the association between alcohol dependence and SSH. CASE SUMMARY: We report the first case of an alcohol-dependent patient with an idiopathic non-traumatic cervical subarachnoid haemorrhage after alcohol withdrawal therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be aware of alcohol dependence as an independent risk factor for not only intracranial, but subarachnoid haemorrhage. We recommend performing spinal imaging in alcoholics with sudden onset of severe neck or back pain, even if neurological deficits are absent or coagulation parameters are normal.