Spinal epidural angiolipomas: a rare cause of spinal cord compression. A report of 8 cases and review of the literature

Extradural spinal angiolipomas are rare benign tumors containing vascular a nd mature adipose elements. We report 8 cases of spinal epidural angiolipom as in 6 females and 2 males. In 7 cases the clinical manifestation was a pr ogressive spinal cord compression and one case had a regressive paraparesis mimicking a multiple sclerosis. In the 8 cases, the localization was thora cic with an extradural complete type of contrast block in 2 cases and parti al in 5 cases. The myelo-CT achieved in 7 cases and the magnetic resonance imaging none at our last case revealed a fat-containing epidural tumor. The tumors were removed in all cases through a laminectomy with a successful o utcome after an average of 9 years (range : 6 months-12 years). Sixty-seven similar cases in the international literature are reviewed. A total of 75 cases have been studied: 45 women and 30 men with a mean age of 46.3 years (range : 6-73), presenting a progressive spinal cord compression in 68 case s and in 7 cases a regressive paraparesis mimicking a multiple sclerosis. M yelography shows an,extradural compression of the thecal sac. MRI is nowada ys the imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis of these lesions. The s urgical removal often easy of the epidural spinal angiolipomas permit a fas t recovery. The etiopathogenesis of this process is still controversial bet ween the dysembryogenetic and malformative hypothesis.