Turkish Neurosurgery 2015 , Vol 25 , Num 5
Lumbar Epidural Varicose Vein: Early Neurological Improvement and Late Radiological Full Recovery with Surgery; The Importance of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Follow-Up
Haydar CELIK1, Yavuz ERDEM1, Mete KARATAY1, Mehmet YORUBULUT2, Tansu GURSOY1, Idris SERTBAS1, Mehmet Akif BAYAR1
1Ministry of Health, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey
2Acıbadem Hospital, Department of Radiology, Ankara, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.11226-14.0 A lumbar epidural varicose vein is a rare clinical condition that can lead to neurological deficits. 3 types of lumbar epidural varicose veins were described according to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings: Type 1 is a thrombosed dilated epidural vein, type 2 is a non-thrombosed dilated epidural vein and type 3 is a sub-membraneous epidural hematoma. Enlarged epidural venous plexuses must be decompressed if they have lead to a neurological deficit. Surgical treatment is by excision or disrupting the cyst’s integrity. We present a case of lumbar epidural varicose vein that was surgically treated twice and showed no radiological change despite the disruption of integrity with a partial excision. The lesion spontaneously and completely disappeared in the late period. We emphasize the importance of MRI in follow-up. Keywords : Lumbar epidural varicose vein, Magnetic resonance imaging, Surgery
Corresponding author : Haydar Celık, dr_haydarcelik@hotmail.com