Abstract

Lymphomas are solid tumours of the immune system. Spinal cord compression by this tumors is a late manefestation and not always present in all of patients. Sometimes, lynphomas can be present only in the spinal epidural space but this is a very reare condition. This is a 23 years old patient who 6 month ago started with dorsal pain after a sudden movement. With time, the pain got worse in intensity and frecuency. Four month after his first manifestation noted a progressive loss of weight and weaknes in both lower limbs. In the CT and MRI studies, we found images suggestive of lymphadenopathy in the mediastinum and abdominal cavity, as well as in the dorsal spine an intra-spinal extradural image that enhancement with contrast. Thinking in a paraparesis caused by a extradural lynphoma, the patient was taken to the operating room and a three-space laminectomy was performed with a gross total ressection of the tumor. Histopathological examination revealed a Hodkin lynphoma and 5 days after surgery the patient presented improvement in the muscular strength of the lower limbs. He was transferred to the oncology service to begin with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. Despite the low incidence of lymphomas with spinal epidural presentation, it is a diagnosis to bear in mind when differentiating intra-spinal extradural tumors. Surgery in patients with signs of medullary compression that are clinically expressed with progressive neurological deterioration should be performed as soon as possible to achieve an adequate improvement of the neurological picture