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Microscope-assisted percutaneous microchannel treatment of lumbar ligamentum flavum cyst: A case report
Nana Guo1, Yonghua Wang2, Gang Gao2
1Critical Care Medicine, Ordos Central Hospital, Ordos, China.
Rationale:
The main treatment for lumbar ligamentum flavum cyst is surgery. The purpose of surgery is to remove the cyst and relieve nerve root compression. In recent years, microscope-assisted percutaneous microchannel therapy has become a minimally invasive and effective alternative to open surgery. However, the efficacy of this surgery for lumbar ligamentum flavum cysts has not yet been determined.
Patient Concerns:
We report a case of a 61-year-old male patient who was admitted due to lower back pain, right lower limb pain, and numbness that had persisted for 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a ligament cyst compressing the nerve at the L4/5 intervertebral level.
Diagnoses:
Lumbar ligament cyst.
Interventions:
Cysts were resected percutaneously via microchannels with the aid of a microscope.
Outcomes:
The clinical effect was good after 2 year of follow-up. The patient's clinical effect after surgery was significantly improved compared with that before surgery, and postoperative lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging showed complete removal of the cyst.
Lessons:
Lumbar ligament cyst is a rare spinal disease with many case reports. At present, its pathogenesis is not clear, and the current consensus is that it is mostly related to spinal degenerative diseases. The main treatment for lumbar ligamentum flavum cyst is surgery. Microscope-assisted percutaneous microchannel surgical resection of lumbar ligamentum flavum cyst is a safe and effective method that can protect the normal anatomical structure of the lumbar spine to the maximum extent, without destroying the stability of the spine, while reducing surgical trauma.
