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Fifteen-year follow-up of a patient with beta thalassaemia and extramedullary haematopoietic tissue compressing the spinal cord.

Niggemann P, Krings T, Hans F, Thron A

Department of Neuroradiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D 52057 Aachen, Germany. niggemann@rad.rwth-aachen.de

A long-term follow-up of a patient with beta thalassaemia with intra- and extraspinal extramedullary haematopoietic tissue compressing the spinal cord is presented. Extramedullary haematopoietic nodules are a rare cause of spinal cord compression and should be included in the differential diagnosis, especially in patients from Mediterranean countries. Treatment with radiation therapy solely failed, giving rise to the need of surgical intervention. Surgical decompression of the spine and the removal of the culprit lesion compressing the spine were performed. Postinterventional radiation therapy was applied to the spine. A relapse had to be treated again by surgical means combined with postinterventional radiation therapy. A complete relief of the symptoms and control of the lesion could be obtained.

Published 2 May 2005 in Neuroradiology, 47(4): 263-6.
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