title: Successful treatment of spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary hematopoietic mass by hypertransfusion in a patient with thalassemia major.
abstract: A 15-year-old girl with thalassemia major who suffered from paraparesis with a history of progressive lower limb weakness for 2 years immigrated from mainland China to Hong Kong. She had not received regular blood transfusion since the age of 6 years after splenectomy. MRI of the spine showed thoracic spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary hematopoietic mass. She made significant recovery with hypertransfusion therapy alone. MRI of the spine repeated 3 months later showed nearly complete resolution of the extramedullary hematopoietic mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong, China. taism888@yahoo.com.hk
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: J S H
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: B W Y
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: M S M
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006411:Hematopoiesis, Extramedullary; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D020335:Paraparesis; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy