Non-Hodgkin lymphomas presenting with spinal epidural involvement.
Spinal cord compression was the presenting symptom in 9 out of 299 previously undiagnosed non-Hodgkin lymphomas observed between 1972 and 1987. All patients had unfavourable histologic diagnosis and 4 had stage I E, 2 stage II E and 2 were staged as IV; one patient did not undergo a staging procedure. All patients were treated with surgery and radiotherapy, whereas chemotherapy was employed in 3 cases only. Only 2 patients are still alive and disease-free after 3 and 8 years respectively; the remaining 7 died with progression of disease, even if in 2 cases a complete clinical remission was obtained. The recent literature has been reviewed. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma with spinal epidural presentation is usually an aggressive disease. An intensive treatment combining surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy is finally suggested to achieve better local and long-term results. Surgery can as a rule be limited to laminectomy plus biopsy.
Di Marco
A
A
Department of Radiation Oncology, Ospedale Civile Maggiore, Verona, Italy.
Campostrini
F
F
Garusi
G F
GF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004824:Epidural Space; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*