title: Lumboradiculopathy due to epidural varices: two case reports and a review of the literature.
abstract: Lumbar radicular pain caused by epidural varices is rare. Its incidence is evaluated at 4.5% of operations for disc herniation. We report 2 cases which were only diagnosed during surgery for a herniated disk as is usually observed in the literature. The mechanism behind radicular pain is not fully understood. It may be compression by the varix itself but it may also be secondary to diffculty in venous return. Several anatomical types are described: thrombosed varix (type 1), non thrombosed varix (type 2), localized hematoma (type 3). Our 2 cases corresponded to type 2. The diagnosis can established by MRI at the pre-operative stage. The images vary according to the anatomical type and the age of the lesions. Treatment is by surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Bichat Hospital, Paris, France. elisabeth. palazzo@bch.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Genevay
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palazzo
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huten
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009192:Myelography; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery