Spinal cord compression secondary to intraspinal extramedullary hematopoiesis

Abstract

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is a rare cause of spinal cord compression (SCC) occurring in various hematological illnesses such as myeloproliferative disorders, thalassemias, and various types of anemia. EMH represents the growth of blood cells outside the bone marrow. Common EMH locations include the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, and paravertebral regions. When this occurs in the spinal cord, the mass effect can compress the spinal cord and cause different neurological symptoms depending on the area of the spinal cord affected. This report describes a 27-year-old female with a known case of beta-thalassemia major, who presented with mid-thoracic back pain, weakness, and paresthesia at the T10 level. In addition, this report illustrates the importance of considering EMH in the differential diagnosis of SCC in patients with thalassemia.

Unraveling a Rare Case of Epidural Extramedullary Hematopoiesis in a Patient With Transfusion-Dependent Beta Thalassemia Presenting With Spinal Cord Compression

“…(Figure 4) [3]. This phenomenon has been documented in chronic hemolytic anemias, myeloproliferative disorders, myelophthisic diseases, hepatocellular cancer, and disorders causing bone marrow disruption [4,5]. Its highest prevalence is observed in beta-thalassemia patients, notably thalassemia intermedia at 20%, with a male-to-female predominance of 5:1 and a usual onset during the fourth decade of life.…”

Effect of wound drainage on the wound infection and healing in patients undergoing spinal surgery: A meta‐analysis

“…Spinal diseases, such as lumbar disc herniation, cervical spine disorders, spinal fractures, scoliosis, spinal or spinal canal tumours, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and spinal tuberculosis, can lead to pain, limited limb movement and spinal deformities 1–5 . Some spinal diseases necessitate surgical intervention due to spinal canal occupation and nerve or spinal cord compression 6,7 . With the increasing number of spinal surgeries, the incidence of surgical site infections in these procedures is also rising 8,9 .…”