HYPERTRANSFUSION FOR SPINAL-CORD COMPRESSION SECONDARY TO EXTRAMEDULLARY HEMATOPOIESIS

A 19-year-old girl with thalassemia intermedia presented with signs of thoracic spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary hematopo iesis. She was started on a transfusion regimen to maintain a hemoglob in level of more than 12.5 g/dL. Clinical signs disappeared ed within the first week and circulating erythroblastemia was completely suppres sed by the second week. Magnetic resonance imaging 4 weeks after diagn osis revealed near-complete resolution of the extradural mass, followe d by gradual improvement in the posterior tibial somatosensory evoked potentials. Transfusion therapy may be diagnostically and therapeutica lly, useful in spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary hem atopoiesis, obviating the need for surgery or radiotherapy.