title: Benign metastasizing leiomyoma causing spinal cord compression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leiomyoma as a cause of cord compression is extremely rare. To our knowledge this is the first report of a dural-based leiomyoma and second report of a leiomyoma causing cord compression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 38-year-old female renal transplant recipient presented with features of cervical cord compression. On imaging and at surgery, the tumor was mistaken for a neurofibroma. A cervical laminectomy and near total excision of the tumor was done. She did well in the postoperative period but presented 5 months later with thoracic empyema leading to septicemia and her demise. Ultrasound examination and autopsy showed leiomyomas in many other sites including the uterus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of extrauterine and uterine leiomyomas is a curious condition termed as "benign metastasizing leiomyoma." As our patient was on immunosuppressant therapy following a renal transplant, it might have predisposed her to this rare condition with multifocal tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Geeta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chacko
authors.forename: Lakshminarayan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Raghuram
authors.forename: Vedantam
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rajshekhar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000150:complications*; D011859:Radiography; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000556:secondary*