Three surgically treated cases of paraplegia caused by spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma were reported, along with summarized findings from 32 previously reported cases. Patients who recovered within 6 mo. endured a shorter interval between loss of their ability to walk and surgical decompression than patients who did not recover (26 h vs. 48 h; P < 0.02). When this interval exceeded approximately 36 h, the probability of recovery fell below 50%.