Posterior epidural migration of extruded lumbar disc mimicking epidural mass: Case report

Abstract

A 44-yr-old male patient was admitted with persistent low back pain of five days duration. Neurological examination and direct x-rays were normal but lumbar spinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging showed posterior epidural mass at the level of L3 vertebral corpus with peripheral contrast enhancement. Initial diagnosis was epidural mass (tumor or abscess). Surgical and pathological evaluations showed extruded disc fragment. As a result we proposed that in the presence of acute or persistent low back pain as a noninvasive radiological investigation Magnetic Resonance Imaging should be performed even in the absence of neurological deficit and if necessary appropriate surgery should be performed.