title: Idiopathic spinal epidural lipomatosis - two cases report and review of literature.
abstract: Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL), an abnormal localized or tumor-like accumulation of fat in the epidural space, is an infrequent complication of chronic steroid usage and an uncommon cause of spinal cord compression. During the period of 1990 to 2006, we have two cases of medically heath SEL patients without history of steroid administration. Their initial clinical manifestations were low back pain, progressive lower extremities weakness, numbness, followed by rapid deterioration of neurogenic intermittent claudication. They were misdiagnosed and treated as degenerative spinal disease for a long time. Due to prominent neurological deficit, lumbar magnetic resonance image (MRI) was obtained and showed SEL. These 2 patients all underwent laminectomy and removal of epidural fat. Postoperatively, they both showed improvement. We reviewed the literature and discussed the current concept in the management of SEL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
authors.forename: Jun-Yeen
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Chih-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chin-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: Shih-Hung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yuan-Kai
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jing-Shan
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008068:Lipomatosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery