Abstract
IntroductionPosterior epidural migration of thoracic disc herniation is extremely rare but may occur in the same manner as in the lumbar spine.Case presentationA 53-year-old Japanese man experienced sudden onset of incomplete paraplegia after lifting a heavy object. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a posterior epidural mass compressing the spinal cord at the T9-T10 level. The patient underwent emergency surgery consisting of laminectomy at T9-T10 with right medial facetectomy, removal of the mass lesion, and posterior instrumented fusion. Histological examination of the mass lesion yielded findings consistent with sequestered disc material. His symptoms resolved, and he was able to resume walking without a cane 4 weeks after surgery.ConclusionsPre-operative diagnosis of posterior epidural migration of herniated thoracic disc based on magnetic resonance imaging alone may be overlooked, given the rarity of this pathology. However, this entity should be considered among the differential diagnoses for an enhancing posterior thoracic extradural mass.
Highlights
Posterior epidural migration of thoracic disc herniation is extremely rare but may occur in the same manner as in the lumbar spine.Case presentation: A 53-year-old Japanese man experienced sudden onset of incomplete paraplegia after lifting a heavy object
Pre-operative diagnosis of posterior epidural migration of herniated thoracic disc based on magnetic resonance imaging alone may be overlooked, given the rarity of this pathology
This entity should be considered among the differential diagnoses for an enhancing posterior thoracic extradural mass
Summary
We report the case of a patient with an extremely rare presentation of posteriorly migrated thoracic disc herniation. Pre-operative diagnosis of posterior epidural migration of a herniated thoracic disc based on MRI alone may be difficult, given the rarity of this pathology. This entity should be considered among the differential diagnoses for an enhancing posterior thoracic extradural mass. Consent Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. All authors were involved in the writing of the manuscript and the patient’s clinical care. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Received: November 2012 Accepted: January 2013 Published: 12 February 2013
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