Paraplegia with thalassaemia.

A case is reported of spinal cord compression resulting from extramedullary haemopoiesis in a patient with thalassaemia. A 28-year-old woman with beta thalassaemia intermedia presented with a two week history of paraparesis with bladder and bowel incontinence. Recovery followed laminectomy and the removal of haemopoietic tissue in the spinal epidural space. This is a rare complication and only eight cases have been reported in the literature.