Presacral and intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis in a patient with β thalassemia minor.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is a rare disease characterized by the presence of hematopoietic elements outside the bone marrow as a compensatory phenomenon in several hematological diseases, including thalassemia. We report a 64-year-old man with epigastric pain of 3-months' duration radiated to the back. Imaging workup showed multiple paravertebral, retrosternal and presacral masses. Cytology findings obtained by CT-guided FNAC were compatible with the diagnosis of EMH. Peripheral blood smear confirmed the presence of β-thalassemia.