Intramuscular myxoma causing lumbar radiculopathy. Case report and review of the literature

The authors present the rare case of a myxoma, a benign soft-tissue tumor of mesenchymal origin noted for occurring in the left atrium of the heart, which was found in the lumbar paraspinal muscles of an 80-year-old woman. This patient experienced low-back pain for over 20 years and had noted its increasing severity with the development of an L-5 radiculopathy over a 3-month period. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed a large paraspinal mass that invaded the L-5 vertebral body and the left foramen of L5-S1. A computerized tomography-guided biopsy sampling procedure was performed, and examination of the specimen revealed an intramuscular myxoma. The patient underwent resection of the tumor and nerve root decompression. The diagnosis of intramuscular myxoma was confirmed, and the patient experienced complete resolution of her presenting symptoms. This patient represents the third reported case (the first in the English-language literature) of an intramuscular (paraspinal) myxoma presenting with lumbar nerve root compression.