Pathologic overgrowth of the epidural fat in the spinal canal has been described and reported in patients with Cushing's syndrome or on chronic intake of glucocorticoids for a variety of medical problems and mobidly obesity. We report a female
patient
with decumented epidural lipomatosis with lumbar instability. Age at onset of symptoms was 47 years old. She had herb medication because of neck pain for 2 months one year age, and has treated steroid medically for 6 months recently.
On admission the symptoms were severe neurogenic claudication and radiculopathy of both lower extremities. Myelography followed by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were instrumental in the diagnosis. The diagnosis of epidural
lipomatosis should be based on a combination of clinical, imaging, surgical, and histological findings. The treatment modalities were reduction of steroid dosage, dietary control, weight reduction, and laminectomy.
She was treated surgically-decompressive laminectomy, fat debulking and instrumentation with bone graft.
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