A Case of Spinal Cords Compression Dute to EMHP

SUMMARY Spinal cord compression due to extramedullary hematopoietic tissue although very rare, is a well known phenomenon. The first case of spinal cord compression due to E.M.H.P. tissue in thalassemia was reported in 1954 by Gatto et al. Sinc then about 59 cases have been reported in literature. We present a new case who has been hospitalized in neurologic ward in Loghman -e- Hakim Hospital of Tehran. We used CT- myelography as diagnostic procedure. We had good result with blood transfusion therapy and-it was no need to surgical procedures. Other neurological complications of thalassemia that has been reported in literature include: Low back pain, radicular pain, episodic pain syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, facial nerve palsy, sudden blindness, reversible hypoxic brain edema, mental retardation especially in alpha thalassemia, cerebral infarction and hemiparesis.