Related Experiment Videos
Cord compression due to extramedullary hemopoiesis in a patient with thalassemia
1Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Study Design:
This is a case report of a patient with thalassemia who had acute spinal cord compression at the T3 to T8 level and presented for treatment.
Methods:
Magnetic resonance imaging and surgical decompression and transfusion therapy was chosen as the preferred treatment modality.
Results:
Neurologic recovery was satisfactory from the immediate postoperative period, and full recovery was observed 2 months after surgery.
Conclusion:
Clinical awareness is important for early diagnosis. Documentation with an imaging technique, such as magnetic resonance imaging, is mandatory. Optimal treatment is tailor-made and depends on the clinical situation and the expertise available.