A Nondysraphic Paraspinal Mass and a Ventricular Septal Defect: Unusual Components of Diabetes-Induced Mesodermal Derangement

Abstract

Solitary paraspinal masses in the pediatric age group commonly occur secondary to spinal dysraphism, chronic inflammatory conditions, and tumors. We describe the unusual case of a 10-year-old boy with a nondysraphic, paraspinal mass that had occurred secondary to congenital spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) in the setting of poorly controlled maternal type-I diabetes mellitus. The mass was picked up along with a ventricular septal defect (VSD) on an antenatal ultrasonogram. This is the first report in literature of SEL presenting as a solitary paraspinal mass at birth, and in the unusual setting of an antenatal mesodermal derangement that simultaneously engendered a VSD.

Keywords :

• spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL)
• ventricular septal defect (VSD)
• congenital
• mesodermal
• derangement