Spinal angiolipoma: case report and review of literature

J Spinal Disord. 1999 Aug;12(4):353-6.

Abstract

Spinal extradural angiolipomas are distinct, benign, and rare lesions composed of mature lipocytes admixed with abnormal blood vessels. They account for 0.14% of all spinal axis tumors. The case described here was a 72-year-old patient presenting with a history of paraparesis, hypoesthesia under the T2 level, hyperreflexia, and urinary overflow incontinence that appeared within 7 days after the administration of a coronary vasodilator drug regimen. The spinal magnetic resonance scan showed a lipomatous mass with signal void lesions, suggesting a vascular component of the tumor. The patient improved rapidly after surgical resection of the epidural tumor and decompression of the cord. According to the present literature, the duration of neurological symptoms ranges from 1 to 180 months (mean 28 months). But this patient's neurological deterioration took place 4 days before hospitalization. We believe that this can be explained by the increased tumor blood volume caused by vasodilator drugs, which in turn exerted a pulsatile compressive effect on the cord.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Angiolipoma / complications
  • Angiolipoma / diagnosis*
  • Angiolipoma / surgery
  • Dura Mater / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Hypesthesia / etiology
  • Laminectomy
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Meningeal Neoplasms / complications
  • Meningeal Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Meningeal Neoplasms / surgery
  • Paraplegia / etiology
  • Reflex, Abnormal
  • Spinal Cord Compression / etiology
  • Spinal Neoplasms / complications
  • Spinal Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Spinal Neoplasms / surgery
  • Thoracic Vertebrae* / pathology
  • Thoracic Vertebrae* / surgery
  • Urinary Incontinence / etiology