Lumbar Pseudomeningocele Causing Hydronephrosis

Abstract

Background/Objective: Pseudomeningocele is most commonly the result of a rent in the meninges during spine surgery. Noniatrogenic causes exist but are rare. Pseudomeningoceles may heal spontaneously, but they may also slowly enlarge. They rarely present as a mass within the abdomen. The objective of this study was to present the first case report of hydronephrosis secondary to lumbar pseudomeningocele. Design: Single case report and literature review. Methods: Single case report. Results: This man had undergone extensive lumbar spine surgery for pain and spondylolisthesis. He subsequently developed a pseudomeningocele that caused hydronephrosis of the left kidney. He was treated with surgical intervention and had resolution of his hydronephrosis and his flank and groin pain. He also had improvement of his back pain. Conclusions: This report shows an unusual cause of hydronephrosis-a pseudomeningocele presenting as an abdominal mass that compressed the ureter.

Intravertebral pseudomeningocele: an unusual complication after disc surgery

“…Iatrogenic pseudomeningoceles may grow slowly, but generally, they extend into the spinal canal along the neural structures or into the soft tissues toward the surgical incision. Hamilton et al [3] have reported a case of atypical retroperitoneal extension of a pseudomeningocele causing hydronephrosis; however, the cyst developed into the soft tissues through a partial vertebrectomy in a patient who had several complex spinal surgical procedures at the same level. Intravertebral development of CSF cyst has only been described once in the literature by Dhaliwal et al [4]; in their case, the C4 level cyst was diagnosed perioperatively; it involved the posterior arch of the vertebra and was causing partial spinal stenosis.…”

Post-operative Pseudomeningocele after Spine Surgery: Rare Cause of Failed Back Syndrome

“…Giant pseudomeningocele is a pathology where the size of the lesion is ≥ 8 cm in diameter (9). It is a very rare entity and only 22 cases have been reported in literature so far (10)(11)(12)(13)(14). MRI is the gold standard for diagnosis of a pseudomeningocele.…”