Intradural venous varix: a rare cause of an intradural lumbar spine lesion.

Abstract

A case of intradural venous varix producing a mass-like lesion in the lumbar spine is reported. To present a rare cause of an intradural mass lesion along the cauda equina. To present radiologic findings of this entity and to offer a hypothesis for its formation. Epidural venous varices have been described previously in the literature. To the authors' knowledge, no cases of intradural venous varix presenting as an intradural mass have been reported previously. An elongated, serpentine intradural mass was discovered on routine lumbar MRI performed for investigation of the patient's radiculopathy. The patient underwent laminectomy and intradural exploration. On surgical exploration, a serpentine, massively dilated vein was identified, which distorted the normal nerve roots. A venous varix should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an intradural lesion in the lumbar spine in the appropriate clinical setting.