Differential Diagnosis Of Sciatica Research Articles

The deep gluteal (piriformis) syndrome

Piriformisa syndrome is a subgroup of the deep gluteal syndrome, an important differential diagnosis of sciatica. Piriformis is a short external rotator muscle of the hip joint passing close to the sciatic nerve as it passes through the great sciatic foramen. Compression causes numbness, ache or tingling in the buttocks, posterolateral aspect of the leg and foot. The causes of sciatic nerve entrapment in the deep gluteal syndrome are best shown by endoscopic exploration. The frequency of anatomical variants in normal subjects however, should caution that such anomalies are not necessarily the cause of symptoms.

Chondromas of the Lumbar Spine: A Systematic Review

Study Design:Systematic review and illustrative case.Objectives:Lumbar spinal chondromas (LSCs) are rare spine tumors. The characteristics of these intraspinal lesions are not well described in the literature. The goal of this article is to describe the features of this rare spinal tumor.Methods:A PubMed and Scopus search adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was performed to include studies reporting patients with LSCs. The data gathered from this review was analyzed to characterize LSCs.Results:The search yielded 14 cases of patients with LSCs. All studies were case reports (Level V of evidence). Different characteristics of LSCs are described, including demographics, clinical findings, imaging, and treatment.Conclusions:The results of this review show that LSCs are almost exclusively seen in the extradural space and may adopt a dumbbell shape. LSCs frequently manifest in a very similar way to lumbar disc herniations; therefore, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sciatica, especially if magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium shows peripheral rim enhancement of the lesion. Different degrees of improvement are usually observed after surgical treatment of these patients.

Lipossarcoma primário ósseo da coluna lombar: relato de caso

Relatamos um caso raro de lipossarcoma primário ósseo da coluna lombar, do qual encontramos apenas um relato semelhante na literatura. Paciente do sexo feminino, 60 anos de idade, com clínica de lombociatalgia à esquerda há aproximadamente seis meses. Nos exames de imagem foi encontrado um tumor destrutivo do corpo vertebral de L4 e a ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM) revelou uma lesão tumoral com hipossinal em T1 e hipersinal em T2. O diagnóstico histológico foi difícil e a imuno-histoquímica confirmou o diagnóstico. O tratamento cirúrgico foi realizado com ressecção ampla, descompressão da medula espinhal, fusão anterior e posterior de L3 a L5, complementada pela radioterapia e quimioterapia. Após três anos, uma tomografia computadorizada (TC) evidenciou lesão expansiva no pulmão. Apesar de sua raridade, o lipossarcoma deve ser considerado no diagnóstico diferencial de ciatalgia e dos tumores primários da coluna vertebral.

Sciatica from a Foraminal Lumbar Root Schwannoma: Case Report and Review of Literature

Sciatica is commonly caused by lumbar prolapsed intervertebral disc (PID) and other spinal lesions. Uncommon causes like nerve root schwannoma are rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of sciatica. Spinal schwannomas occur both sporadically and in association with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1; von Recklinghausen's disease). This case report describes lumbar foraminal schwannoma as an unusual cause of radiculopathy, presenting clinically as a lumbar disc prolapse. The diagnosis was confirmed on MRI scan. Patient had complete symptomatic recovery following surgical enucleation of the tumour mass from the L5 nerve root. This case report is of particular interest as it highlights the diagnostic confusion, which is bound to arise, because the clinical presentation closely mimics a lumbar PID. This often leads to delay in diagnosis and “failure of conservative treatment.”

Piriformis Syndrome: A Pain in the Butt

Piriformis syndrome (PS) is often not considered in the differential diagnosis of sciatica, yet the incidence varies from 5% to 36% of low back pain patients, affecting more women than men.1 It is important that nurse practitioners (NPs) recognize signs and symptoms of PS in comparison to other conditions presenting with sciatica.

Sciatica Caused by Pseudomyxoma Peritonei

Many etiologies may cause sciatica, and intra-abdominal masses usually affect the lumbosacral plexus by local invasion or distal metastases. Lumbosacral plexopathy caused by compression of intra-abdominal tumors instead of invasion is rarely seen. A 67-year-old woman had a 3-month history of progressive neurogenic claudication, lumbago and left L5 radiculopathy with foot drop. Nocturia and progressive abdominal distension with voiding dysfunction were also noted. Imaging studies showed a huge pelvic mass with severe compression of the left lumbosacral trunk. There was no direct invasion of the lumbosacral plexus by the pelvic mass noted in the preoperative imaging studies or intraoperative findings. Bilateral ovarian borderline mucinous cystic tumor with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) was diagnosed, and the sciatica was improved dramatically after subsequent abdominal debulking surgery. Although rare, neural compression caused by PMP and intra-abdominal masses needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of sciatica.

Sciatica of nondisc origin: hydatid cyst of the sciatic nerve

The authors report on an 81-year-old woman with a primary hydatid cyst located in the posteromedial aspect of the thigh. She presented with sciatica, and the cyst was also associated with neurological dysfunction because of its intra-neural location. Diagnosis of a cyst in a nerve body is very rare, and the one reported here might be the first such case. So far, in all the previously reported cases in which there were also neurological findings, the cysts in the vertebral column were compressing the spinal cord or there was an intrapelvic mass compressing the sciatic nerve. Hydatid cyst should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sciatica, especially when treating patients who live in or have emigrated from areas of the world where Echinococcus granulosus is prevalent.

The Differential Diagnosis of Sciatica

Summary Sciatica, when defined as pain radiating from the back along the course of the sciatic nerve, is nearly always due to intervertebral disc disease. All the other causes of sciatica and similar pain are rare but ought to be considered, particularly when the symptoms are atypical. In most instances the diagnosis of nerve root compression can be made clinically. X-ray examination and myelography serve to confirm the clinical diagnosis. Electromyography, in our experience, has not much to contribute in the differential diagnosis of sciatica.