Subarachnoid haemorrhage with acute cauda symptom due to spinal tumour.

Massive spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage causing compression of the cauda equina is reported. The origin of haemorrhage is concluded to have been an intradural angioblastic meningioma of the filum terminale at the L 3/4. Our paper describes the course of this patient in respect of diagnostic problems and reviews 6 cases of spontaneous spinal subarachnoid haematoma due to SAH from a spinal tumour with acute compression of the adjoining nervous structures. The necessity of early diagnosis and proper operative treatment is stressed.