Primary Spinal Epidural Lymphoma As a Cause of Spontaneous Spinal Anterior Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review

• Published in: Journal of neurological surgery reports Vol. 78; no. 1; pp. e1 - e4
• Main Authors: Córdoba-Mosqueda, M. E., Guerra-Mora, J. R., Sánchez-Silva, M. C., Vicuña-González, R. M., Torre, A. Ibarra-de la
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Stuttgart · New York Georg Thieme Verlag KG 01-01-2017
• Subjects: Case Report; epidural; spinal compression; spinal epidural lymphoma; spinal epidural lymphoma; spinal compression; epidural
• ISSN: 2193-6358; 2193-6366
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1597692

Abstract
Background
 Primary spinal epidural lymphoma (PSEL) is one of the rarest categories of tumors. Spinal cord compression is an uncommon primary manifestation and requires to be treated with surgery for the purpose of diagnosis and decompression.
Case Presentation
 A 45-year-old man presented with a new onset thoracic pain and progress to an anterior spinal syndrome with hypoesthesia and loss of thermalgesia. Magnetic resonance image showed a paravertebral mass that produces medullary compression at T3. The patient was taken up to surgery, where the pathology examination showed a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Conclusions
 PSEL is a pathological entity, which must be considered on a middle-aged man who began with radicular compression, and the treatment of choice is decompression and biopsy. The specific management has not been established yet, but the literature suggests chemotherapy and radiotherapy; however, the outcome is unclear.