EANS Case of the Month 2017:7

'An atypical cause of sciatica'

by Bamps S (1), Maes H. (1 &2), De Vleeschouwer S. (1) and Hompes D. (2)

1 – Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Leuven, Belgium
2 – Department of Surgical oncology, University Hospital Leuven, Belgium

Case description

A 39-year-old healthy woman presented with refractory sciatica in her left upper leg for several years. There was no history of trauma. Neurological examination revealed a hypoesthesia in the left upper leg without any other deficit: L2-L3-dermatomeric distribution.

Question Title

* 1. What is your tentative diagnosis?

Herniated disc at L2-L3 (paramedian left) or at L2-L3 (foraminal – extraforaminal left)

Lumbar spinal stenosis at L2-L3 (foraminal left) or at L3-L4 (lateral recess left)

Neurogenic or soft tissue tumor

Spinal fracture at L3