GRANULOMATOUS-ANGIITIS OF THE SPINAL-CORD - A CASE-REPORT

A 12-YEAR-OLD CAUCASIAN boy presented with a thoracic myelopathy. Magn etic resonance T1-weighted images revealed an enhancing lesion infiltr ating the lower thoracic spinal cord to the level of the conus. Evalua tion of the lesion by open biopsy revealed granulomatous angiitis of t he spinal cord. Granulomatous angiitis is a rare vasculitic process th at typically involves the brain and, less frequently, the spinal cord. Diagnosis must be established early by histopathological examination so that treatment with corticosteroids and/or cytotoxic agents may be instituted. When left untreated, patients with granulomatous angiitis of the spinal cord have developed fatal intracranial manifestations.