Clinical and MRI features of 5 patients with dorsal epidural disc herniations
| Case No./Age (yr)/Sex | Symptoms | Side/Level | Lateral Soft Tissue | Ventral Soft Tissue, Abutting Disc | Gadolinium Enhancement | Radiologist's Favored Diagnosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/48/M | 3-Week back pain, radiating to right lower extremity, paresthesias on dorsum of right foot, urinary hesitancy | Left/L4–5 | Yes | Yes | Peripheral | Epidural abscess |
| 2/77/M | 4-Month low back pain, intermittent radiation into right > left lower extremities, weakness; acutely unable to ambulate | Right/L3–4 | Yes | Yes | NA | Epidural hematoma |
| 3/69/M | 2-Week low back pain radiating into thighs, progressive right lower extremity weakness | Left/L2–3 | Yes | Yes | NA | Synovial cyst |
| 4/61/M | 5-Day low back pain, 2-day progressive right lower extremity weakness | Left/L3–4 | Yes | Yes | NA | Epidural hematoma |
| 5/35/M | 1-Week back and bilateral lower extremity pain, weakness | Left/L4–5 | Yes | Yes | Peripheral | NA |
| 6a/60/M | 3-Week progressive severe right lower extremity radicular pain, resulting in hospital admission for pain control | Right/L4–5 | Yes | Yes | Peripheral | Epidural abscess |
Note:—NA indicates not applicable.
↵a Images from case 6 appear in Diehn et al.8