Granulocytic sarcoma: an unusual complication of aleukemic myeloid leukemia causing spinal cord compression. A case report and literature review.

Granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) is a rare solid tumor resulting from the proliferation of myelogenous leukemia cells. Chloromas usually present as soft tissue or bony masses of the head and neck in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) of the French-American-British M2 subtype. Occasionally chloromas may occur in patients with myelodysplasia and other myeloproliferative disorders and rarely precede the development of systemic disease. It is distinctly rare for such tumors to cause epidural compression as a first manifestation of disease. Herein, we report the case of a man with a thoracic extradural chloroma whose presentation of progressive lumbar pain ultimately led to the diagnosis of M2 AML. Surgical intervention prior to the onset of paraplegia and the prompt initiation of chemotherapy resulted in an excellent neurological and hematological outcome. We also review the literature of previously reported cases of spinal cord-associated chloroma and focus on the clinical presentation and treatment of this disorder.