Neurogenic claudication without spinal stenosis arising as a result of lumbar epidural varices

Lumbar Spinal Epidural Varices Causing Acute Bilateral Lower Limb Radiculopathy: A Case Report

CASE

A 61-year-old male patient presented with back pain and bilateral lower limb radicular pain. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan of the lumbar spine was suggestive of engorged epidural veins behind the L5 vertebral body causing severe cauda equina compression. A venous Doppler scan demonstrated thrombosis of the inferior vena cava, which was identified as the primary pathology. He was started on anticoagulation, after which his radicular symptoms improved significantly. The patient was asymptomatic at the time of final follow-up at 1 year.

CONCLUSION

Epidural varices can rarely present with lumbar radiculopathy mimicking an acute disk prolapse clinically and radiologically. Careful interpretation of the MRI scan will ensure proper diagnosis and avoid unnecessary surgery.

Cauda equina syndrome secondary to portal vein thrombosis: case report of favorable outcome with conservative treatment

Epidural varicosis is a rare though well-known cause of cauda equina syndrome (CES). Although inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction is the most common finding in such cases, portal vein hypertension can lead to epidural venous plexus engorgement by means of lumbar portocaval shunt activation.

A 40-year-old woman presented with right-sided sciatica, which progressed to right foot drop and a 3-day history of vesical tenesmus and fecal retention. She was initially diagnosed with L4–5 lumbar disc protrusion. However, contrast-enhanced lumbar MRI scan showed the presence of epidural varices in the L3–S1 tract. Given the absence of vascular anomalies amenable to resection, etiological conservative treatment was addressed. Therefore, a complete diagnostic workup was performed and revealed deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, and portal vein thrombosis. Oral anticoagulant therapy was initiated and prompt resolution of CES was observed. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of CES secondary to epidural varicosis in the setting of acute portal vein thrombosis and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO). In cases of epidural varicosis, conservative etiological treatment is the most appropriate choice as CES may be the epiphenomenon of underlying systemic pathophysiological processes.

Cauda equina syndrome secondary to portal vein thrombosis: case report of favorable outcome with conservative treatment

Epidural varicosis is a rare though well-known cause of cauda equina syndrome (CES). Although inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction is the most common finding in such cases, portal vein hypertension can lead to epidural venous plexus engorgement by means of lumbar portocaval shunt activation.A 40-year-old woman presented with right-sided sciatica, which progressed to right foot drop and a 3-day history of vesical tenesmus and fecal retention. She was initially diagnosed with L4-5 lumbar disc protrusion. However, contrast-enhanced lumbar MRI scan showed the presence of epidural varices in the L3-S1 tract. Given the absence of vascular anomalies amenable to resection, etiological conservative treatment was addressed. Therefore, a complete diagnostic workup was performed and revealed deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, and portal vein thrombosis. Oral anticoagulant therapy was initiated and prompt resolution of CES was observed. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of CES secondary to epidural varicosis in the setting of acute portal vein thrombosis and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO). In cases of epidural varicosis, conservative etiological treatment is the most appropriate choice as CES may be the epiphenomenon of underlying systemic pathophysiological processes.

Revisiting the Vertebral Venous Plexus-A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

The venous drainage of the vertebral and paravertebral regions is important for a better understanding of hematogenous disease spread. Moreover, the spine surgeon must be well acquainted with this anatomy to minimize intraoperative and postoperative complications. A comprehensive review of the vertebral venous plexus (Batson plexus) was performed with a concentration on the clinical and surgical correlations of this venous network.

Extraspinal Vascular Malformation with Retrograde Drainage through a Radicular Vein: Treatment with Percutaneous Transgluteal Embolization

BACKGROUND

Spinal arteriovenous fistulas have abnormal connections between spinal arteries and veins. Early diagnosis and management are essential for preventing permanent neurologic deficits. Although symptoms of myelopathy are commonly related to established types of spinal arteriovenous fistulas within the spine, extraspinal arteriovenous anomalies may also result in similar pathology and pose challenges to conventional endovascular treatment.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 61-year-old man presented with progressive weakness and decreasing sensation in the lower extremities. He had a remote history of craniopharyngioma surgery and deep venous thrombosis. Examination showed decreased strength and reflexes in the lower extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated T2 cord signal changes and flow voids within the spinal canal. Angiogram showed bilateral internal iliac artery arteriovenous malformations with retrograde flow into a radicular vein and venous congestion of the medullary veins. Percutaneous transgluteal puncture of the superior gluteal vein was performed, and the abnormal inflow to the radicular vein was obliterated with coiling and Onyx embolization. The patient had significant clinical improvement, and follow-up imaging demonstrated resolution of T2 cord signal changes and flow voids.

CONCLUSIONS

Extraspinal vascular malformations with vascular myelopathy are extremely rare. They include a broad spectrum of complex vascular disorders and often require alternate endovascular approaches.

Engorged venous plexus mimicking adjacent segment disease: Case report and review of the literature

Background

An engorged venous plexus may mimic nerve compression from a herniated disk on the magnetic resonance (MR) studies as they both have similar signal intensities. During a laminectomy, if an engorged venous plexus is encountered instead of a disk herniation, there may be marked unanticipated bleeding.

Case Description

A 58-year-old female who had a prior anterior lumbar interbody fusion later returned with recurrent radiculopathy. Adjacent segment disease from a spinal disk herniation was suspected based on the surgical history, physical examination, and imaging (MRI) findings. Rather than a disk, an engorged venous plexuses (EVP) was encountered intraoperatively.

Conclusion

Here, we discussed our findings regarding a lumbar EVP rather than a herniated disk and reviewed the current literature. Although rare, a higher index of suspicion for these vascular malformations based on combined historical information and MRI studies should allow one to better detect and/or anticipate an EVP rather than a routine disk.

Reversible dilatation of lumbar epidural venous plexus secondary to pelvic venous compression: mimicker of pathology

Radiculopathy from dilated epidural varices is a rarely recognized phenomenon, and engorged varices may mimic a disc herniation, fistula or mass. We report a case of a distended bladder causing reversible pelvic venous congestion and resultant epidural venous plexus engorgement. We show marked engorgement of the epidural venous plexus and crowding of the cauda equina from a markedly distended bladder with resolution of these findings following bladder decompression. Familiarity with this clinical entity is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis and to prevent potential unnecessary surgical intervention.

Lumbar epidural varices: An unusual cause of lumbar claudication

Lumbar epidural varices can also present with radiculopathy similar to acute intervertebral disc prolapse (IVDP). However as the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in these patients are usually normal without significant compressive lesions of the nerve roots, the diagnosis is commonly missed or delayed leading to persistent symptoms. We present a rare case of acute severe unilateral claudication with a normal MRI unresponsive to conservative management who was treated surgically. The nerve root on the symptomatic side was found to be compressed by large anterior epidural varices secondary to an abnormal cranial attachment of ligamentum flavum. Decompression of the root and coagulation of the varices resulted in complete pain relief. To conclude, lumbar epidural varices should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute onset radiculopathy and claudication in the absence of significant MRI findings.

Myelopathy-mimicking symptoms of epidural venous engorgement and syringomyelia due to inferior vena cava stenosis at the thoracolumbar junction in a patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome

Epidural venous engorgement can result from various lesions, such as arteriovenous malformation, thrombosis or occlusion of the inferior vena cava (IVC), or an abdominal masslike lesion. Most patients with these problems complain of low-back pain, radicular pain, or neurogenic claudication, which are symptoms suggestive of disc herniation or spinal stenosis. However, these patients rarely exhibit neurological deficits or cauda equina syndrome. The authors encountered a case of a 60-year-old man presenting with lower-extremity weakness and voiding difficulty for a period of 1 year. To investigate the patient’s myelopathy-mimicking symptoms, a lumbar spine MRI scan was performed. The MR images exhibited tortuous and dilated spinal vessels compressing the spinal cord and thecal sac at the T11-L3 level, which were concurrent with syringomyelia evidenced by a 22 × 2.5-mm cyst at the T11–12 level. 3D CT scanning of the whole aorta revealed total occlusion and regression of the IVC in the intrahepatic region 3 cm inferior to the right atrium and dilation of multiple collateral veins. The patient was diagnosed with chronic Budd-Chiari syndrome Type I. The authors performed venography, followed by intrahepatic IVC recanalization via stent placement under fluoroscopic and ultra sonographic guidance and without surgical exploration. After this treatment, there was a marked decrease in epidural venous engorgement and the patient’s symptoms resolved almost completely. This case indicates that epidural venous engorgement at thoracolumbar levels may cause symptoms suggestive of myelopathy and can be successfully treated by minimally invasive procedures to eliminate the underlying causes.