Yilmaz Merih Can, Aydin Keramettin
Department of Neurosurgery, VM Medical Park Hospital, 55200 Samsun, Turkey.
Reports (MDPI). 2025 Sep 3;8(3):169. doi: 10.3390/reports8030169.
: Posteriorly migrated lumbar disc herniation [PMLDH] is a rare entity that may present with atypical clinical and radiological features, often mimicking other spinal pathologies. Migration of sequestered fragments through the interlaminar space is exceptionally uncommon, and diagnostic challenges are further amplified in the presence of spinal instability. While MRI and CT are generally sufficient for diagnosis, undetected lesions on preoperative imaging may complicate clinical management. : A 59-year-old male presented with acute low back pain and left-sided radiculopathy. Examination revealed mild motor weakness in ankle dorsiflexion. MRI showed L4-L5 segmental instability with central canal stenosis but no migrated disc fragment. Owing to neurological deficit, decompressive laminectomy with posterior instrumentation was performed. Intraoperatively, a posteriorly migrated sequestered fragment compressing the thecal sac was excised and confirmed as degenerative disc material. Postoperatively, the patient's neurological deficit and radicular pain resolved, with no new complaints at 3-month follow-up. : This case highlights an unusual presentation of PMLDH in a patient with lumbar stenosis and spinal instability, undetected on preoperative imaging. Recognition of the biomechanical predisposition at the L3-4 and L4-5 levels is important in understanding such rare migrations. Although literature emphasizes early surgical intervention for PMLDH, our patient required urgent surgery due to neurological deficits rather than a definitive preoperative diagnosis. Further studies are warranted to clarify the relationship between instability and posterior migration.
后移型腰椎间盘突出症(PMLDH)是一种罕见的疾病,可能表现出非典型的临床和影像学特征,常与其他脊柱疾病相似。游离碎片通过椎板间隙后移极为罕见,并且在存在脊柱不稳定的情况下,诊断挑战会进一步加大。虽然MRI和CT通常足以进行诊断,但术前影像学检查未发现的病变可能会使临床管理复杂化。
一名59岁男性因急性下腰痛和左侧神经根病就诊。检查发现踝关节背屈轻度肌力减弱。MRI显示L4-L5节段不稳定伴中央管狭窄,但未见椎间盘碎片移位。由于存在神经功能缺损,遂行后路减压椎板切除术并进行后路内固定。术中,切除了一个向后移位并压迫硬膜囊的游离碎片,经证实为退变的椎间盘组织。术后,患者的神经功能缺损和神经根性疼痛得到缓解,3个月随访时无新的不适主诉。
该病例突出了PMLDH在一名腰椎管狭窄和脊柱不稳定患者中的不寻常表现,术前影像学检查未发现。认识L3-4和L4-5水平的生物力学易感性对于理解这种罕见的移位很重要。虽然文献强调对PMLDH应早期手术干预,但我们的患者因神经功能缺损而需要紧急手术,而非术前明确诊断。有必要进行进一步研究以阐明不稳定与后移之间的关系。