Primary spinal epidural Burkitt's lymphoma

Abstract

Three Japanese children suffered from symptoms of spinal cord compression, and myelography demonstrated extradural masses compressing the spinal cord at different levels. Decompressive laminectomy revealed epidural tumors which were resected as completely as possible. Histologic pictures of the tumors showed Burkitt's lymphoma, and the diagnosis of primary epidural Burkitt's lymphoma with clinical stage A was made in each case after postoperative examination. Though postoperative radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy were administered to all patients, they only survived for a short period of time.