ABSTRACT. Sciatic hernia is a rare condition with diverse clinical manifestations. We report a case of sciatic hernia causing sciatica, in which the diagnosis made on CT was subsequently confirmed on MRI including magnetic resonance neurography. The salient clinical and imaging features and a brief review are presented. Sciatic hernia is a rare condition that can lead to bowel obstruction, sciatica, pelvic pain, back pain or ureteric obstruction [1,2]. Clinical diagnosis of this condition is difficult. Ultrasonography and CT are the imaging modalities commonly used to diagnose sciatic hernia, although MRI can be used in cases in which entrapment of the sciatic nerve is suspected. Magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) provides high-resolution images to demonstrate entrapment of the nerve and morphological changes in the nerve [3]. Colour Doppler can be useful in surgical planning, as it can provide information regarding bowel viability. Case reportA 55-year-old woman presented with swelling in the left gluteal region and pain in the left lower limb of two years' duration. A detailed clinical history also revealed that she had an abscess in the left gluteal region following an intramuscular injection one year previously; however, at presentation there was no clinical feature suggestive of abscess. Physical examination revealed non-tender soft swelling in the left lumbar region with associated atrophy of gluteal muscles. To diagnose the nature of the gluteal mass, a CT scan of the pelvis and gluteal region was performed. The CT scan revealed herniation of the sigmoid colon through the greater sciatic foramen reaching up to the skin surface and atrophy of the gluteal muscles. Other major pelvic organs including the uterus, ureter and urinary bladder were normally located ( Figure 1). As there was atrophy of the left gluteal muscles, and because the patient had symptoms of sciatica, entrapment of the sciatic nerve by sciatic hernia was suspected. MRI of the pelvis and upper thigh with MRN was performed to confirm entrapment of the sciatic nerve. MRN was used for high-resolution imaging of the sciatic nerve and was performed on a 1.5 T scanner (Sonata, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) using a pelvis phase-array coil. Sequence parameters included 4 mm section thickness, 0 mm intersection gap, 18-24 cm field of view, 256 6 256 matrix, and an 8-to 10 min imaging time per sequence. The patient underwent axial T 1 weighted spin echo (580/11/2-3 [TR/TE/excitations]) and axial and oblique coronal short tau inversion recovery (STIR, 5000/27/2-3; inversion time, 130 ms) sequences. Coronal oblique images were taken parallel to the course of the sciatic nerve. MRI revealed thickening and increased signal in the left sciatic nerve on STIR coronal oblique images (Figure 2). Lateral deviation and entrapment of the nerve by hernia was also noted along with atrophy of the left gluteal muscles.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.