CAUDA-EQUINA COMPRESSION BY EPIDURAL LIPOMATOSIS IN OBESITY - EFFECTIVENESS OF WEIGHT-REDUCTION

Epidural lipomatosis (EL) is characterized by abnormal accumulation of unencapsulated fat in the epidural space, and usually occurs as a com plication of longterm steroid therapy. This condition, which may resul t in devastating neurologic complications, has also been reported with out exogenous steroid intake. We describe a case of nonsteroid induced symptomatic EL associated with obesity, and emphasize the possibility of effective medical management of this entity with weight reduction instead of decompressive laminectomy whenever neurologic symptoms are mild and stable.