Abstract
We examined eight patients with primary spinal epidural non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with spinal cord compression and proven histologically after laminectomy (7 cases) or biopsy (1 case) by MRI. The most common findings were an isointense or low signal relative to the spinal cord on T1-weighted images (T1WI) and high signal on T2-weighted images (T2WI). Spinal cord compression, vertebral bone marrow and paravertebral extension were assessed. Contrast enhancement was intense in seven of the eight cases and homogeneous in all of them. T2WI (performed in 2 cases) may be useful to distinguish metastatic carcinomas and sarcomas. T1WI demonstrated the full extent of the epidural lesion, which was well-delineated in all cases. When the paravertebral extension is not well-defined, a study with contrast medium should be performed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rao TV, Naryanaswamy KS, Shankar SK, Deshpande DH (1982) “Primary” spinal epidural lymphomas. A clinico-pathological study. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 62:307–317
Verity GL (1968) Neurological manifestations and complications of lymphoma. Radiol Clin North Am 6:97–106
Mullins GM, Flynn JPG, El-Mahdi AM, McQueen JD, Owens AH (1971) Malignant lymphoma of the spinal epidural space. Ann Intern Med 74:416–423
Friedman M, Kim TH, Panahon AM (1976) Spinal cord compression in malignant lymphoma. Cancer 37:1485–1491
MacVicar D, Williams MP (1991) CT scanning in epidural lymphoma. Clin Radiol 43:95–102
Epelbaum R, Haim N, Ben-Shahar M, Ben-Arie Y, Feinsod M, Cohen Y (1986) Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with spinal epidural involvement. Cancer 58:2120–2124
Touboul E, Merle Beral H, Grob R, Judet T, Fauchon F, Roy-Camille R, Guerin RA (1983) Epidurites revelatrices de lymphomes non hodgkiniens. A propos de 11 cas Sem Hop Paris 59: 2751–2757
Lyons MK, O'Neill BP, Marsh BWR, Kurtin PJ (1992) Primary spinal epidural non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Report of eight patients and review of the literature. Neurosurgery 30:675–689
Bucy PC, Jerva MJ (1962) Primary epidural spinal lymphosarcoma. J Neurosurg 19:142–152
Haddad P, Thaell JF, Kiely JM, Harrison EE Jr, Miller RH (1976) Lymphoma of the spinal extradural space. Cancer 38:1862–1866
Li MH, Holtas S, Larsson EM (1992) MR imaging of spinal lymphoma. Acta Radiol 33:338–342
Sze G, Krol G, Zimmerman RD, Deck MDE (1988) Malignant extradural spinal tumors: MR imaging with GD-DTPA. Radiology 167:217–223
The Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma Pathologic Classification Project (1982) National Cancer Institute sponsored study of classifications of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Summary and description of a working formulation for clinical usage (1982). Cancer 49:2112–2135
Travlos J, du Toit G (1991) Primary spinal epidural lymphoma mimicking lumbar spinal stenosis. Spine 16:377–379
Eeles RA, O'Brian P, Horwich A, Brada M (1991) Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with extradural spinal cord compression: functional outcome and survival. Br J Cancer 63:126–129
Negendank WG, Al-Katib AM, Karanes C, Smith MR (1990) Lymphomas: MR imaging contrast characteristics with clinical-pathologic correlations. Radiology 177:209–216
Boukobza M, Guichard JP, Boissonnet M, George B, Reizine D, Gelbert F, Merland JJ (1994) Spinal epidural hematoma. Report of 11 cases and review of the literature. Neuroradiology 36: 456–459
Boukobza M, Metzger J (1989) IRM et abcès épiduraux. Rachis 1:359–364
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Boukobza, M., Mazel, C. & Touboul, E. Primary vertebral and spinal epidural non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with spinal cord compression. Neuroradiology 38, 333–337 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00596582
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00596582