Spinal epidural lipomatosis following haploidentical allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
Spinal epidural lipomatosis, is a very rare condition, usually seen as an uncommon complication of Cushing's syndrome secondary to chronic steroid therapy leading to increased fat deposits in the epidural space.


METHODS
We report the first documented case of acute symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis in a patient with relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The patient underwent an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and a month of steroid treatment for acute graft vs. host disease (GvHD). He presented with a mild to moderate Cushing's syndrome and minimal obesity. He progressed rapidly to paraparesis, sensory deficit, urinary incontinence and finally respiratory arrest complicated with staphylococcal sepsis.


CONCLUSIONS
Epidural lipomatosis, with subacute thecal sac compression, is a possible life-threatening complication of relatively short-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy for GvHD in BMT setting.
Resnick
Igor B
IB
Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cancer Immunotherapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. gashka@hadassah.org.il
Gomori
John M
JM
Kiselgoff
David
D
Lossos
Alex
A
Zilberman
Irina
I
Miron
Svetlana
S
Bitan
Menachem
M
Or
Reuven
R
Slavin
Shimon
S
Shapira
Michael Y
MY
D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008068:Lipomatosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae