Differential Diagnosis and Operative Treatment of Rare Intraforaminal Space-Occupying Lesions

Abstract

The typical sciatic syndrome or unilateral radicular deficits are most often caused by disc herniation, but they may also be caused by an intraforaminal tumor. Depending on the lateral position of these tumors their most common apparent symptoms may be pain, loss of sensation, or weakness in the extremities. Therefore the differential diagnosis may prove very difficult. In most of our cases the anamnesis and certain clinical findings as well as additional neurological criteria caused us to suspect that the neurological deficits could be caused by tumor-like tissue. Thus we were able to modify our surgical indication and operative procedure in advance.