Papers of the Week

Solitary plasmacytoma (SPC) account for only 5% of plasma cell neoplasms, and the literature hardly reports spinal SPC with a neurological deficit. Furthermore, spinal surgical intervention during pregnancy is rarely encountered and often requires multidisciplinary collaboration and management. The objective of this case report is to highlight this near-miss diagnosis and spinal surgical intervention during pregnancy. A 31-year-old woman with 24 weeks gestation presented with sudden paralysis and incontinence, with an underlying history of chronic backpain over a two-month period. Initially, she was treated for musculoskeletal back pain by obstetric colleagues during an antenatal visit, and no radiograph was performed. A non-contrasted spinal MRI was eventually requested when she started to show bilateral lower limb weakness, numbness and incontinence. The MRI highlighted thoracic vertebrae T11 vertebra plana with kyphotic deformity and a paraspinal soft tissue mass compressing the spinal cord causing spinal cord oedema. Our initial working diagnosis was spinal tuberculosis (TB), considering TB is highly endemic in Malaysia. However, TB workup was negative, and we proceeded with spinal surgery and transpedicular biopsy. Neurology improved significantly after surgery. Eventually, serum protein electrophoresis reported plasma dyscrasia, and HPE confirmed plasmacytoma. The patient was referred to a haematologist for steroidal and chemotherapy treatment.