Extradural and Intrathoracic Lipoma

Abstract

To Editor:— I was interested in article by Dr. Herbert C. Maier in Aug. 18 issue ofThe Journal( 181 :610) on Extradural and Intrathoracic Lipoma Causing Spinal Cord Compression. It is perfectly correct, as stated by Dr. Maier in his first paragraph, that the onset of paraparesis in a young child with a large intrathoracic tumor might well lead to a tentative diagnosis of neuroblastoma; but neither should such a diagnosis delay surgeons from immediately surgically decompressing spinal cord. In past 6 months at Variety Children's Hospital and at Jackson Memorial Hospital, both in Miami, we have had 2 children with this syndrome with neuroblastomas, one of whom had her spinal cord lesion operated on first, then had her chest lesion removed, following both of these with x-ray treatment. The child is now walking with a practically normal neurological examination. The second