PRIMARY VERTEBRAL AND SPINAL EPIDURAL NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA WITH SPINAL-CORD COMPRESSION

We examined eight patients with primary spinal epidural non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with spinal cord compression and proven histologic ally after laminectomy (7 cases) or biopsy (1 case) by MRI. The most c ommon findings were an isointense or low signal relative to the spinal cord on T1-weighted images (T1WI) and high signal on T2-weighted imag es (T2WI). Spinal cord compression, vertebral bone marrow and paravert ebral extension were assessed. Contrast enhancement was intense in sev en of the eight cases and homogeneous in all of them. T2WI (performed in 2 cases) may be useful to distinguish metastatic carcinomas and sar comas. T1WI demonstrated the full extent of the epidural lesion, which was well-delineated in all cases. When the paravertebral extension is not well defined, a study with contrast medium should be performed.