A Sciatic Neuralgia Case of an Entrapment Neuropathy Mimicking Piriformis Syndrome Due to Soft Tissue Hemangioma

Title:A Sciatic Neuralgia Case of an Entrapment Neuropathy Mimicking Piriformis Syndrome Due to Soft Tissue Hemangioma

Volume: 19

Author(s): Şeref Barbaros Arik*Elif Günaydin

Affiliation:

• Department of Radiology, Medicalpark Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

Keywords: Sciatic nerve, Piriformis syndrome mimicker, compressive neuropathy, MRI, tensor imaging tractography, soft tissue hemangioma.

Abstract:

Background: Lumbosacral pain is commonly seen in daily clinical practice. In fact, entrapment of the part of the sciatic nerve after the sacral foramen causes some of these pains, which should not be overlooked. The sciatic nerve may be compressed during its course after the sacral foramen for a variety of reasons. We aimed in this article to review extra-spinal compressive sciatic neuropathy reasons and abnormal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by presenting a sciatic neuralgia case of an entrapment neuropathy mimicking piriformis syndrome due to soft tissue hemangioma.

Case Presentation: A 30-year-old male patient was admitted with complaints of lumbosacral pain spreading to the leg that had been worsening over the previous 10 days. With the preliminary diagnosis of labral damage and piriformis syndrome, the patient was referred to the radiology clinic for a hip MRI. In the hip MR images, a mass lesion suggestive of heterogeneously enhanced soft tissue hemangioma after the injection of paramagnetic contrast material was observed in the proximal left thigh. The soft tissue hemangioma extends towards the obturator foramen and compresses the sciatic nerve proximal to the femur after the sciatic foramen.

Conclusion: The diagnosis of lower extremity entrapment neuropathy is frequently misdiagnosed. In these cases, MRI becomes more important for accurate diagnosis. The radiologists' knowledge of the sciatic nerve in MRI, regional anatomy during the course of the sciatic nerve, and abnormal nerve imaging findings will aid in the diagnosis.

Cite this article as:

Arik Barbaros Şeref*, Günaydin Elif, A Sciatic Neuralgia Case of an Entrapment Neuropathy Mimicking Piriformis Syndrome Due to Soft Tissue Hemangioma, Current Medical Imaging 2023; 19 (8) : e170822207608 . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573405618666220817144728

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573405618666220817144728	Print ISSN 1573-4056
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1875-6603