Spinal cord involvement as the presenting symptom of acute monocytic leukemia.

Spinal cord involvement in leukemia is rare and has been described only once in association with acute monocytic leukemia. A patient whose presenting symptom of acute monocytic leukemia was the syndrome of cauda equina compression due to an epidural and retroperitoneal leukemic mass is reported. Peripheral blood smears were normal throughout the evolution of the disease. The radiological, surgical, and pathological findings are presented, and the therapeutic, along with the prognostic implications of spinal cord involvement by leukemia are discussed.