SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF SPINAL CORD COMPRESSION SECONDARY TO EXTRAMEDULLARY HEMATOPOIETIC MASS BY HYPERTRANSFUSION IN A PATIENT WITH THALASSEMIA MAJOR

Abstract

A 15-year-old girl with thalassemia major who suffered from paraparesis with a history of progressive lower limb weakness for 2 years immigrated from mainland China to Hong Kong. She had not received regular blood transfusion since the age of 6 years after splenectomy. MRI of the spine showed thoracic spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary hematopoietic mass. She made significant recovery with hypertransfusion therapy alone. MRI of the spine repeated 3 months later showed nearly complete resolution of the extramedullary hematopoietic mass.

Keywords:

• extramedullary hematopoiesis
• spinal cord compression
• thalassemia
• transfusion