[Epidural abscess in the spine extended from pulmonary zygomycosis during consolidation chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

A 37-year-old woman with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed fever and pneumonia during persistent neutropenia after consolidation chemotherapy. Pneumonia was rapidly followed by the formation of abscess in adjacent subcutaneous tissues, muscles and bones. She subsequently developed sudden onset of paraplegia and loss of all sensation below Th4. Epidural abscess was detected by MRI. Emergency drainage was performed, but the patient died 4 days after the operation. Rhizopus oryzae grew from culture of the epidural abscess. Since the incidence of zygomycosis appears to have increased over the recent years, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of zygomycosis in case of any infection that is resistant to antibiotics.