The perivertebral collar--a new sign in lymphoproliferative malignancies.

Nine patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies, one of whom had not been previously diagnosed, were found on CT examination for back pain to have partial or complete soft tissue perivertebral collars. The thoracic and or lumbar regions were involved in all. Only 3 had gross bony changes at the time, and in others the changes appeared so innocuous that in combination with the vague clinical symptoms their significance was underestimated. Five patients ultimately had episodes of cord compression, and in all nine the appearance of this spinal lesion appeared to be of grave prognostic significance. All 9 were dead within 1 year of the presentation of their spinal lesions. The observation of a perivertebral collar in the context of a known or suspected lymphoproliferative malignancy should therefore raise the strong suspicion of spinal involvement. The vertebrae should be examined on bone windows and the contents of the spinal canal on narrow windows to assess bony and epidural spread.