Retroperitoneal approach for lumbar lateral meningocele--case report

A 29-year-old female with neurofibromatosis presented with a right lumbar lateral meningocele. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed a huge right retroperitoneal cyst expanding anterolaterally and displacing the right kidney. CT following myelography disclosed the cyst expanding through a wide defect of the right pedicles of the T-12 and L-1 vertebrae. The cyst was resected through a retroperitoneal approach with right flank oblique incision. Postoperatively, cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred, which improved after lumboperitoneal shunt. Careful screening for lateral meningocele, including the lumbar region, should be undertaken in a patient with neurofibromatosis who presents with vertebral anomalies.