Intradural lumbar disc hernia. Case report

The authors report a case of intradural disc hernia at L2-L3 in a woman aged 72 years. It presented clinically as chronic lumbar pain associated from the beginning with referred pain in the thighs, later with severe paraparesis and disturbance of bladder function. The myelogram showed a partial block suggestive of an intradural neoplasm. With a view to obtaining a more precise diagnosis, a CT lumbar scan was advised, but surgical intervention could not be deferred. Despite the gravity of the symptoms, the case reports in the literature showed that surgery carried out immediately offers a more than average chance of neurological recovery or improvement. This was in fact the outcome in the present case.