title: A rare calcified thrombosis of the dilated epidural venous plexus presenting with lumbar radiculopathy: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lumbar radiculopathies may occur in the course of many diseases but are rarely caused by abnormalities or pathologic changes in the epidural venous plexus. We describe a patient with lumbar radiculopathy attributable to a thrombolith of the epidural venous plexus, as diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and who was treated by hemilaminectomy and removal of the thrombolith.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To document the first report of thrombolith in the dilated vertebral epidural venous plexus presenting as a lumbar radiculopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case report and literature review.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 72-year-old woman presented with a 2-year history of back pain radiating to the left buttock without a history of any trauma. Lumbar spinal CT and MRI showed a calcified lesion in the left epidural space at the L1 level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient was treated by hemilaminectomy at the T12-L1 level and left epidural mass excision. Histopathology confirmed a thrombolith in the left epidural malformed venous plexus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A thrombolith causing a lumbar radiculopathy in the dilated epidural venous plexus is a rare condition. If CT or MRI shows a vertebral epidural calcified lesion, an epidural venous thrombolith may be included in the differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, 520-2 Deaheung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon 301-723, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Seok
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jong Ok
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014680:Veins / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery