Successful treatment of spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary hematopoietic mass by hypertransfusion in a patient with thalassemia major.
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.
Tai
S M
SM
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong, China. taism888@yahoo.com.hk
Chan
J S H
JS
Ha
S Y
SY
Young
B W Y
BW
Chan
M S M
MS
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