title: Metastatic thymoma presenting as spontaneous epidural lumbar haematoma.
abstract: We report the case of a 44-year-old man who was found to have metastatic thymoma to his lumbar spine presenting as a spontaneous epidural haematoma. The man presented with back pain and cauda equina like symptoms in the absence of trauma, antiplatelet or anticoagulant agents. Following a laminectomy and excision of the epidural collection he made a full neurological recovery. Histopathology of the haematoma demonstrated metastatic thymoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such case of metastatic thymoma to the lumbar spine presenting as a spontaneous epidural collection. We believe, in all patients with spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma and a background of malignancy, histopathological analysis should be sought.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Liverpool Hospital, Level 5, New Clinical Building, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia. g.shiva@live.com.au.
authors.forename: Ganeshwaran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shivapathasundram
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Liverpool Hospital, Level 5, New Clinical Building, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sammons
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Liverpool Hospital, Level 5, New Clinical Building, Liverpool, NSW, 2170, Australia.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bazina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D046748:Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011128:Polyradiculopathy / Q000209:etiology; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Epidural; Haematoma; Metastatic; Spontaneous; Thymoma