Cord compression due to atypical T-cell lymphoma from paraspinal soft tissue: Report of a case

Abstract

During lymphoma’s natural history of disease, 5–10% of cases may develop Central Nervous affectation. We present the case of a 57-years-old man with less than 24 h of onset symptoms of paraparesis, lower limb hypoesthesia and sphincter dysfunction who was operated due to dorsal tumor with epidural component which caused severe cord compression. Pathological analysis concluded atypical T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, a rare subtype of lymphoma which accounts 1%−2% of all Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas. Our case was particularly aggressive and atypical due to its origin in paraspinal soft tissue. Despite specific treatment, the patient presented an early epidural relapse, frequent in this lymphoma subtype.