[Intramedullary spinal cord sarcoidosis. Case report and review of the literature].
Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatosis disease of unknown etiology which commonly involves hilary nodes and lungs. Involvement of the nervous system represents 5 to 15% of the cases. We report on a rare case of cervicothoracic spinal cord sarcoidosis in an African man and review the literature on the subject. His only symptoms were those of a subacute myelopathy. On MR-imaging, coexistence of abnormal signal of cervicothoracic spinal cord with mediastinal lymph nodes was suggestive of sarcoidosis, which was confirmed by bronchial biopsies making unnecessary biopsies of the spinal cord lesion. Under corticotherapy both symptoms and radiological abnormalities rapidly regressed. We emphasize the rarity of sarcoidosis exclusively revealed by a myelopathy. We stress the importance of searching other localizations which are easier and safer to biopsy than the spinal cord lesion itself and illustrate the MR appearances of the lesion which are suggestive, however not specific of the disease.
Pierre-Kahn
V
V
Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital de la Pitté, 75651 Paris Cedex, France. vpk@sentoo.sn
Capelle
L
L
Sbaï
A
A
Cacoub
P
P
Piette
J C
JC
Fohanno
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001541:Benin / Q000208:ethnology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010297:Paris; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011241:Prednisone