Epidural lipomatosis secondary to indinavir in an HIV-positive patient

Could Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis Be the Hallmark of Metabolic Syndrome on the Spine? A Literature Review with Emphasis on Etiology

Spinal epidural lipomatosis is defined by an excessive amount of epidural fat in the spinal canal, usually in the lumbosacral tract: a well-known cause of lumbar pain and spinal stenosis with a possible wide range of neurological symptoms. Recent research data reveal that, nowadays, obesity has become the main cause of spinal epidural lipomatosis. Moreover, this condition was recently recognized as a previously unknown manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Radiological studies (CT and MRI) are the only tools that are able to diagnose the disease non-invasively. Indeed, radiologists play a key role in disease recognition, with subsequent possible implications on patients' systemic health assessments. Despite its clinical importance, the condition is still underreported and neglected. The current literature review summarizes all the main etiologies of spinal epidural lipomatosis, particularly regarding its linkage with metabolic syndrome. An overview of disease characteristics from diagnosis to treatment strategies is also provided.

Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis Causing Lumbar Canal Stenosis: A Pictorial Essay on Radiological Grading and the Role of Bariatric Surgery Versus Laminectomy

Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) is a rare condition characterized by an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue in the spinal canal that can have a compressive effect on intraspinal neuroanatomical structures, leading to clinical symptoms. Several different conservative and surgical treatment strategies have been proposed but the treatment and outcomes remain controversial. There is a lack of severity-based evidence documenting the success of decompressive laminectomy in SEL and there are only anecdotal reports of clinico-radiological success with weight loss from bariatric surgery. This article demonstrates the resolution of SEL in two patients with bariatric surgery with the help of pre and postoperative MR imaging. The authors also highlight the classic “types” of spinal epidural lipomatosis with a surgically relevant grading system and elucidate the existence of concurrent extraspinal lipomatosis (i.e. mediastinal and intra-abdominal lipomatosis), drawing parallels with the natural history of SEL. The controversial question remains whether a symptomatic SEL patient needs a multilevel laminectomy for spinal decompression or bariatric surgery that can indirectly help the spinal condition. We propose that bariatric intervention could be better frontline management in patients with multifocal/multisystem lipomatosis (i.e., combined spinal and extraspinal) and spinal decompression would be ideal for those SEL patients with coexisting bony and/or ligamentous spinal canal or foraminal stenosis. This manuscript serves as a comprehensive and contemporary update on the radiological profile and two plausible treatment paths and will look toward further verification by a randomized clinical trial.

MRI Features and Clinical Significance of Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis: All You Should Know

Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) is defined as the abnormal accumulation of unencapsulated adipose tissue in the spinal epidural space. SEL can be asymptomatic or can cause a wide range of symptoms, the most common of which is neurogenic claudication. Several other neurological manifestations may also occur, above all myelopathy and radicular symptoms. The spinal level most frequently involved in patients with SEL is the lumbar one, followed by the thoracic one. Imaging plays a key role in disease assessment. MRI is considered the most effective and sensitive modality for diagnosing and staging SEL. Anyway, also CT scan can diagnose SEL. The diagnosis may be incidental (in mild-moderate disease) or may be taken into account in cases with neurological symptoms (in moderate-severe disease). There are some recognized risk factors for SEL, the most common of which are exogenous steroid use and obesity. Recent studies have found an association between SEL and obesity, hyperlipidemia and liver fat deposition. As a matter of fact, SEL can be considered the spinal hallmark of metabolic syndrome. Risk factors control represents the initial treatment strategy in patients with SEL (e.g. weight loss, steroid therapy suspension). Surgical decompression may be required when conservative treatment fails or when the patient develops acute/severe neurological symptoms.

Resolution of Idiopathic Epidural Lipomatosis after Bariatric Surgery: Case Report and Literature Review

Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) is traditionally a rare disorder defined as an abnormal accumulation of unencapsulated epidural fat. SEL can be classified into idiopathic and secondary. We report a 46-year-old obese male with idiopathic epidural lipomatosis with a clinical picture of bilateral L5 and S1 radiculopathy, with an L5 and S1 distribution. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed epidural lipomatosis at L4, L5, and S1. After 2-year of sleeve gastrectomy, his bilateral sciatic radiculopathy disappeared, and updated MRI showed complete resolution of epidural lipomatosis. We present a case of an unusual epidural lipomatosis, resolved completely by bariatric surgery. This case report set out the effect of metabolic surgery on the local and systemic metabolic process.

Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis: A Review of Pathogenesis, Characteristics, Clinical Presentation, and Management

STUDY DESIGN

Narrative review of available literature.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize current trends in pathogenesis and management of spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) and suggest areas where more research would be of benefit.

METHODS

The available literature relevant to SEL was reviewed. PubMed, Medline, OVID, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Google Scholar were used to review the literature. Institutional review board approval is not applicable for this study.

RESULTS

This article clearly summarizes current trends in the pathogenesis and management of SEL.

CONCLUSIONS

Possible etiologies of SEL include exogenous steroid use, endogenous steroid hormonal disease, obesity, surgery induced, and idiopathic disease. Comorbidities such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and Scheuermann's disease have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of SEL. Steroid-induced SEL seems to have a proclivity for the thoracic region of the spine and has a higher incidence of paraplegia when compared with other forms. Several treatment modalities exist for SEL and are dictated by the underlying cause of the disorder. These include weight reduction, cessation of steroid medications, treatment of underlying endocrine abnormalities, and surgical decompression. Conservative treatments generally aim to decrease the thickness of adipose tissue in the epidural space, but the majority of patients tend to undergo surgical decompression to relieve neurologic symptoms. Surgical decompression provides a statistically significant reduction in symptoms, but postoperative mortality is high, influenced primarily by the patient's preoperative comorbidities. Physicians should consider the underlying cause of SEL in a given patient before pursuing specific treatment modalities, but alarm symptoms, such as the development of acute cauda equina syndrome, should likely be treated with urgent surgical decompression.

A Case of Epidural Lipomatosis in Pregnancy: Management during Labour and Caesarean Section

BACKGROUND

Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) is a rare condition of adipose tissue accumulation in the epidural space. As a result of excess adipose tissue, neuraxial anaesthesia has been reported to behave unpredictably in patients with this condition.

CASE

A 36-year-old woman had worsening postural headaches during pregnancy. MRI revealed SEL involving the thecal sac between L3/L4 and L5/S1. She had induction of labour but ultimately required a CS for delivery. Her anaesthesia was managed with an epidural inserted at L3/4. She developed a high block with relative sacral sparing.

CONCLUSION

Although neuraxial anaesthesia was thought to be contraindicated in patients with SEL, it can be done safely. Care must be taken to provide slow epidural titration to avoid high sensory block in patients with this condition.

The prevalence of spinal epidural lipomatosis on magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND

Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) refers to an excessive accumulation of fat within the epidural space. It can be idiopathic or secondary, resulting in significant morbidity. The prevalence of SEL, including idiopathic and secondary SEL, and its respective risk factors are poorly defined.

PURPOSE

We sought to: (1) assess the prevalence of SEL among patients who underwent a dedicated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the spine-including incidental SEL (ie, SEL without any spine-related symptoms), SEL with spine-related symptoms, and symptomatic SEL (ie, with symptoms specific for SEL); and (2) assess factors associated with overall SEL and subgroups. In addition, we assessed differences between SEL subgroups.

METHODS

We reviewed the records of 28,902 patients, aged 18 years and older with a spine MRI (2004 to 2015) at two tertiary care centers. We identified SEL cases by searching radiology reports for SEL, including synonyms and misspellings. Prevalence numbers were calculated as a percentage of the total number of patients. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with overall SEL and subgroups.

RESULTS

The prevalence of overall SEL was 2.5% (731 of 28,902): incidental SEL, 0.6% (168 of 28,902); SEL with symptoms, 1.8% (526 of 28,902); and symptomatic SEL, 0.1% (37 of 28,902). Factors associated with overall SEL in multivariate analysis were the following: older age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.02, p<.001), higher modified Charlson comorbidity index (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.07-1.13, p<.001), male sex (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.71-2.37, p<.001), BMI>30 (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.97-3.41, p<.001), Black/African American race (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.24-2.23, p=.001), systemic corticosteroid use (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.69-3.99, p<.001), and epidural corticosteroid injections (OR: 3.48, 95% CI: 2.82-4.30, p<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that about 1 in 40 patients undergoing a spine MRI had SEL; 23% of whom with no symptoms, 72% with spine-related symptoms, and 5% with symptoms specific for SEL. Our data help identify patients who might warrant an increased index of suspicion for SEL.

Epidural Lipomatosis and Associated Spinal Stenosis-The Impact of Weight Loss: A Case Report

Lumbar stenosis is a common radiographic finding that sometimes can be symptomatic. It usually results from a degenerative process of hypertrophic facets, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, and disc involvement. A prominence of fat in the epidural space, epidural lipomatosis, can also be a contributing factor. This case report presents a 55-year-old man with radiographic improvement of epidural lipomatosis and stenosis from dietary weight loss. Given the rising obesity epidemic, practitioners should be cognizant of epidural lipomatosis and consider weight loss as a possible treatment option.

Manifestations of HIV infection in the peripheral nervous system

Peripheral nerve disorders are associated with all stages of HIV infection. Distal sensory polyneuropathy is characterised by often-disabling pain that is difficult to treat. It is prevalent in both high-income and low-income settings. In low-income settings, use of potentially neurotoxic antiretrovirals, which are inexpensive and widely available, contributes substantially to incidence. Research has focused on identification of factors that predict risk of distal sensory polyneuropathy and elucidation of the multifactorial mechanisms behind pathogenesis. Sensorimotor polyneuropathies and polyradiculopathies are less frequent than distal sensory polyneuropathy, but still occur in low-income settings and have potentially devastating consequences. However, many of these diseases can be treated successfully with a combination of antiretroviral and immune-modulating therapies. To distinguish between peripheral nerve disorders that have diverse, overlapping, and frequently atypical presentations can be challenging; a framework based on a clinicoanatomical approach might assist in the diagnosis and management of such disorders.

Myeloneuropathic presentation of spinal epidural lipomatosis

Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) is accumulation of unencapsulated fat tissue within the epidural space of the spinal canal. The most common cause of SEL is corticosteroid therapy, whereas most of the non-corticosteroid-dependent cases are idiopathic. If unrecognized, it may result in diagnostic confusion with other neuropathic or myelopathic conditions. We report 2 cases of SEL. The first case is of a 30-year-old man who received corticosteroid therapy for an acute and probably immune-mediated demyelinating process. Subsequently, the addition of compressive effects of SEL resulted in diagnostic confusion and initial workup at other centers for spinal cord malignancy and vascular malformation. The patient's symptoms improved after decompression surgery. The second case is of a 63-year-old woman with a history of type 1 diabetes mellitus that presented with increasing numbness in the lower extremities. She was initially diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy; however, the presence of myelopathic signs led to further investigation and diagnosis of SEL. Decompression surgery resulted in improvement of symptoms.

Epidural spinal lipomatosis with acute onset of paraplegia in an HIV-positive patient treated with corticosteroids and protease inhibitor: case report

STUDY DESIGN

Case report.

OBJECTIVE

To report a case of HIV-related lipodystrophy with a rapid onset of symptoms from epidural lipomatosis in the wake of protease inhibitor and steroid treatment.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis is considered to be a rare condition usually presenting with slowly progressive cord or nerve root compression. Only 2 cases of spinal lipomatosis in HIV-related lipodystrophy have been reported.

METHODS

We describe the case of a 41-year-old male with HIV who received protease inhibitor medication and had neurologic deficits rapidly develop.

RESULTS

The patient had complete paraplegia develop within 12 hours from admission following a 1-day history of unsteady gait and a 3-day history of leg numbness. After diagnosis of epidural lipomatosis on magnetic resonance imaging, the patient underwent decompressive thoraco-laminectomy. He recovered well and was able to walk by postoperative day 4.

CONCLUSION

It is important to maintain an awareness for the possible association between HIV lipodystrophy and symptomatic epidural lipomatosis.

Spinal epidural lipomatosis following haploidentical allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for non-Hodgkin lymphoma

OBJECTIVES

Spinal epidural lipomatosis, is a very rare condition, usually seen as an uncommon complication of Cushing's syndrome secondary to chronic steroid therapy leading to increased fat deposits in the epidural space.

CASE REPORT

We report the first documented case of acute symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis in a patient with relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The patient underwent an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and a month of steroid treatment for acute graft vs. host disease (GvHD). He presented with a mild to moderate Cushing's syndrome and minimal obesity. He progressed rapidly to paraparesis, sensory deficit, urinary incontinence and finally respiratory arrest complicated with staphylococcal sepsis.

CONCLUSION

Epidural lipomatosis, with subacute thecal sac compression, is a possible life-threatening complication of relatively short-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy for GvHD in BMT setting.