Epidural lipomatosis and renal transplantation

A 34-year-old man presented with progressive myelopathy 4 months after cadaveric renal transplant for endstage renal disease. Radiographic evaluation gave findings consistent with epidural lipomatosis and compression of the thoracic thecal sac. Decompressive laminectomy resulted in dramatic improvement of his neurologic deficit. This case is unusual in the brevity of steroid treatment prior to onset of the myelopathy, as well as the relatively small dose. The 10 previous cases of epidural lipomatosis are also reviewed.