Spinal cord compression induced by steroid therapy: CT findings

Long-term steroid therapy has many well documented complications. Both epidural fat deposition and vertebral compression fractures are among such complications. We report two cases in which acute paraplegia occurred following compression fracture without retropulsion of bone fragments or significant narrowing of the spinal canal. However, both patients had abnormally large epidural fat deposits as an underlying and contributing condition. Therapy to relieve the compression was disappointing.