[Spinal cord and cauda equina compression in 2 patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia]

Spinal cord compression as a consequence of mass lesions due to extramedullary hematopoiesis is a well described but rare syndrome occurring in thalassemia and some other hematologic conditions. The authors report two cases of patients with a genetic variant of beta-thalassemia, who suffered from a progressive compression of the spinal cord in one case, of the cauda equina in the other caused by epidural hematopoietic tissue. The first patient recovered after partial surgical removal of this tissue and subsequent radiotherapy. The second one recovered after only radiotherapy.