scholarly journals Bilateral leg pain and unilateral calf atrophy caused by polymyositis accompanying lumbar spinal stenosis and disc herniation: a case report

2022 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 030006052110694
Author(s):  
In-Hwa Baek ◽  
Hyung-Youl Park ◽  
Ho-Young Jung ◽  
Jun-Seok Lee

Polymyositis is a subgroup of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies characterized by symmetric proximal limb weakness and chronic skeletal muscle inflammation. We herein report the first case of bilateral leg pain and unilateral calf atrophy caused by polymyositis accompanying lumbar spinal stenosis and disc herniation. A 52-year-old man presented with intermittent claudication and calf pain that had become gradually aggravated during the last 3 months. Magnetic resonance imaging showed spinal stenosis at the L3/4 and L4/5 levels and lumbar disc herniation at the L4/5 level. Preoperative laboratory investigations revealed elevated muscle enzyme concentrations. Magnetic resonance imaging also showed atrophy, fatty degeneration, and edema in both calf muscles. Histological examination showed inflammatory myositis and fibrosis in the perifascicular connective tissues. The patient was diagnosed with polymyositis. We performed decompressive laminectomy at the L3/4 and L4/5 levels and discectomy at the L4/5 level. After administration of prednisolone for 6 months and methotrexate for 3 months, the patient’s bilateral calf pain and abnormal laboratory findings improved. The combination of surgical decompression and adequate medical treatment resulted in a successful recovery. Polymyositis should be suspected in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis or lumbar disc herniation who exhibit increased muscle enzyme concentrations or lower extremity muscle atrophy.

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 230949902110128
Author(s):  
Xiaosheng Yu ◽  
Junduo Zhao ◽  
Fan Feng ◽  
Yingchao Han ◽  
Guibin Zhong ◽  
...  

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the relationship between the laminar slope angle (LSA) and the lumbar disc degenerative grade, the cross-section area (CSA) of multifidus muscle, the muscle-fat index, and the thickness of the ligamentum flavum. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 122 patients who were scheduled to undergo a lumbar operation for diagnoses associated with degenerative lumbar disease between January and December 2017. The L4–L5 disc grade was evaluated from preoperative sagittal T2-weighed magnetic resonance imaging of the lumber region; the CSA of the multifidus and muscle-fat index were measured at the L4 level, while the thickness of the ligamentum flavum was measured at the L4–L5 facet level from axis T2-weighed magnetic resonance imaging. The slope of the laminar was evaluated from preoperative three-dimensional computer tomography at the tip level of the facet joints and selected by the axis plane. Independent-sample T-tests were used to assess the association between age and measurement indices. Results: Our results showed that age was positively connected with the LSA of L4 and L5 in different patients, although there was no significant difference between age and the difference of the two segment LSA. Partial correlation analysis, excluding the interference of age, revealed a strong negative relationship between the LSA of L4 and the thickness of the ligamentum flavum, irrespective of whether we considered the left or right. However, there was no correlation with lumbar disc degenerative grade, the CSA of the multifidus, and the muscle-fat index. Conclusion: The thickness of the ligamentum flavum showed changes with anatomical differences in the LSA, but not the lumbar disc degenerative grade, the CSA of the multifidus, and the muscle-fat index. A small change in LSA may cause large mechanical stress; this may be one of the causative factors responsible for lumbar spinal stenosis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idiris Altun ◽  
Kasım Zafer Yüksel

<sec><title>Study Design</title><p>Histopathological analyses were performed in ligamentum flavum (LF) hypertrophy patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and lumbar disc herniation (LDH).</p></sec><sec><title>Purpose</title><p>The aim of the present study was to evaluate histopathological changes in LF patients with LSS and LDH.</p></sec><sec><title>Overview of Literature</title><p>LSS is the most common spinal disorder in elderly patients. This condition causes lower back and leg pain and paresis, and occurs as a result of degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, including bulging of the intervertebral discs, bony proliferation of the facet joints, and LF thickening; among these, LF thickening is considered a major contributor to the development of LSS.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 71 patients operated with the surgical indications of LSS and LDH were included. LF samples were obtained from 31 patients who underwent decompressive laminectomy for symptomatic degenerative LSS (stenotic group) and from 40 patients who underwent lumbar discectomy for LDH (discectomy group). LF materials were examined histopathologically, and other specimens were examined for collagen content, elastic fiber number and array, and presence of calcification.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The stenotic and discectomy groups did not differ with regard to mean collagen concentration or mean elastic fiber number (p=0.430 and p=0.457, respectively). Mean elastic fiber alignment was 2.36±0.99 in the stenotic group and 1.38±0.54 in the discectomy group (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001). Mean calcification was 0.39±0.50 in the stenotic group, whereas calcification was not detected (0.00±0.00) in the discectomy group; a statistically significant difference was detected (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001) between groups.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>LF hypertrophy in spinal stenosis may occur as a result of elastic fiber misalignment along with the development of calcification over time. Further studies determining the pathogenesis of LSS are needed.</p></sec>


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shota Takenaka ◽  
Kosuke Tateishi ◽  
Noboru Hosono ◽  
Yoshihiro Mukai ◽  
Takeshi Fuji

OBJECT In this study, the authors aimed to identify specific risk factors for postdecompression lumbar disc herniation (PDLDH) in patients who have not undergone discectomy and/or fusion. METHODS Between 2007 and 2012, 493 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis underwent bilateral partial laminectomy without discectomy and/or fusion in a single hospital. Eighteen patients (herniation group [H group]: 15 men, 3 women; mean age 65.1 years) developed acute sciatica as a result of PDLDH within 2 years after surgery. Ninety patients who did not develop postoperative acute sciatica were selected as a control group (C group: 75 men, 15 women; mean age 65.4 years). Patients in the C group were age and sex matched with those in the H group. The patients in the groups were also matched for decompression level, number of decompression levels, and surgery date. The radiographic variables measured included percentage of slippage, intervertebral angle, range of motion, lumbar lordosis, disc height, facet angle, extent of facet removal, facet degeneration, disc degeneration, and vertebral endplate degeneration. The threshold for PDLDH risk factors was evaluated using a continuous numerical variable and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The area under the curve was used to determine the diagnostic performance, and values greater than 0.75 were considered to represent good performance. RESULTS Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative retrolisthesis during extension was the sole significant independent risk factor for PDLDH. The area under the curve for preoperative retrolisthesis during extension was 0.849; the cutoff value was estimated to be a retrolisthesis of 7.2% during extension. CONCLUSIONS The authors observed that bilateral partial laminectomy, performed along with the removal of the posterior support ligament, may not be suitable for lumbar spinal stenosis patients with preoperative retrolisthesis greater than 7.2% during extension.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 151-156
Author(s):  
Trung Hoang Van ◽  
Cuong Le Van Ngoc

Background: Lumbar spinal stenosis often associates with chronic pain described the abnormal narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal, resulting in compression of neural elements within the central spinal canal or the lateral recesses or the root canals or coordinate with each other. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the plain X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging features of lumbar canal stenosis. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 78 patients with an acquired lumbar spinal canal between October 2017 and May 2018. Results: The X-rays confirmed osteophytes in 92.3%, endplate sclerosis in 88.5% and disc space narrowing 62.8%. On MRI, 213 lumbar levels were lumbar spinal canal stenosis, 181 lumbar levels were evaluated for the grade of central spinal canal stenosis. Conclusions: X-ray examination has limitations in a diagnosis of lumbar spinal stenosis but also serves as a diagnostic aid. MRI is well diagnosed as spinal pathology as well as lumbar spinal stenosis. Key words: Lumbar spinal, Lumbar spinal stenosis, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, Grading


Spine ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (14) ◽  
pp. 1605-1610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon D. Lurie ◽  
Anna N. Tosteson ◽  
Tor D. Tosteson ◽  
Eugene Carragee ◽  
John Carrino ◽  
...  

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