TITLE:
A Case of Thoracic Disc Herniation Extruded to the Dorsal Epidural Space
AUTHORS:
Shigeta Takeuchi, Yuichirou Yokoyama, Yasuaki Iida, Keiji Hasegawa, Akihito Wada, Ryoichi Fukano, Kazutoshi Shibiuya, Hiroshi Takahashi
KEYWORDS:
Disc Hernia, Dorsal Epidural Space, Thoracic Spine
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Orthopedics,
Vol.5 No.8,
August
5,
2015
ABSTRACT: We encountered a patient with thoracic disc herniation that extruded to the dorsal epidural space. The patient was a 78-year-old man in whom listlessness of the lower limbs developed without an inducer and walking became difficult. The patient was diagnosed as having a thoracic spinal cord tumor on MRI by a physician, and was referred to our hospital. Since ring enhancement was observed on contrast MRI performed at our hospital, the patient was diagnosed with disc herniation and surgery was performed. A hernia continuous with the intervertebral space that extruded to the dorsal epidural space was excised. At the final follow up, 1 year and 4 months after surgery, the patient could walk with a cane. Among thoracic disc herniation cases, hernia extruded to the dorsal epidural space is rare and difficult to diagnose by imaging before surgery, but evaluation using contrast MRI is useful in the diagnosis. When a space-occupying lesion is observed in the spinal canal in the lower thoracic spinal region, it is necessary to evaluate it by contrast MRI in consideration of thoracic disc herniation.