Far caudally migrated extraforaminal lumbosacral disc herniation treated by a microsurgical lateral extraforaminal transmuscular approach: case report

J Neurosurg Spine. 2016 Mar;24(3):385-8. doi: 10.3171/2015.7.SPINE15342. Epub 2015 Dec 4.

Abstract

A 33-year-old man presented with moderate low-back pain and L-5 radiculopathy that progressed to severe paresis of L-5. On initial imaging, a corresponding spinal lesion was overlooked. Further CT and contrast-enhanced MRI demonstrated a presacral mass along the L-5 root far extraforaminally. A herniated disc was suspected, but with standard imaging a schwannoma could not be ruled out. The presacral L-5 root was explored via a microsurgical lateral extraforaminal transmuscular approach. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there have been no reports of sequestered extraforaminal lumbosacral disc herniations that herniated into the presacral region.

Keywords: EFDH = extraforaminal disc herniation; VAS = visual analog scale; extraforaminal disc herniation; extraforaminal transmuscular approach; far-lateral disc herniation; far-out syndrome; lumbar; sequestrectomy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Intervertebral Disc Displacement / diagnosis
  • Intervertebral Disc Displacement / surgery*
  • Lumbosacral Region / surgery*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Microsurgery / methods*
  • Radiculopathy / diagnosis
  • Radiculopathy / surgery*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed