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Acute Complete Foot Drop Caused by Intraneural Ganglion Cyst without a Prior Traumatic Event
Stavros Stamiris1,2, Dimitrios Stamiris1,2, Athanasios Sarridimitriou2
1Orthopaedic Department, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Ring Road West 56403, Nea Efkarpia, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Case Reports in Orthopedics
|March 25, 2020
Summary
Intraneural ganglion cysts can cause acute foot drop, a rare symptom. This case highlights a ganglion cyst of the common peroneal nerve as the cause of sudden foot drop without prior trauma.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Radiology
Background:
- Intraneural ganglion cysts are benign epineural masses originating from joint connections.
- They typically present with nerve compression symptoms like pain, numbness, or weakness.
- Trauma is often implicated in their pathogenesis.
Observation:
- A 42-year-old military officer presented with acute foot drop during a march.
- Initial diagnosis considered L5-S1 disc herniation but was ruled out by lumbar MRI.
- EMG and knee MRI confirmed an intraneural ganglion cyst of the common peroneal nerve.
Findings:
- This case represents an uncommon presentation of intraneural ganglion cyst with acute foot drop as the primary symptom.
- The patient had no preceding traumatic event, challenging typical diagnostic assumptions.
- Surgical treatment involved cyst decompression, articular branch ligation, and joint disarticulation.
Implications:
- This case broadens the differential diagnosis for acute peroneal nerve palsy.
- It emphasizes the need for high clinical suspicion for intraneural ganglion cysts in unexplained foot drop.
- Early diagnosis and surgical intervention can lead to significant functional recovery.
