Epidural lipomatosis as a cause of spinal cord compression in polymyalgia rheumatica

Abstract

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a common rheumatologic disorder in older individuals that usually requires chronic, low dose corticosteroid therapy for adequate control of symptoms. Epidural lipomatosis is a rare complication of chronic corticosteroid use in which neurologic deficits occur due to extradural fat compression of the spinal cord. The author describes the first reported case of epidural lipomatosis occurring as a complication of corticosteroid therapy in a patient with PMR.