The Spine Journal 14 (2014) 3060
A very rare complication of the posterior fossa decompression surgery: lumbar pneumorrhachis A 33-year-old man referred to our radiology department with severe low back pain for 3 weeks. He underwent a posterior fossa decompression surgery because of the presence of the Arnold-Chiari malformation 1 month ago. Thus, the patient underwent computed tomography imaging examinations to understand the possible causes of the low back pain. Posterior lamina of the first cervical vertebrae and posteroinferior part of the occipital bone of the skull has been removed to relieve pressure (Figure, Left). We also detected a large intramedullary hypodense lesion at the
L1 vertebrae level on the lumbar CT images (Figure, Right). It had air Hounsfield unit density. Thus, we thought that this pneumorrhachis lesion was a very rare complication of the posterior fossa decompression surgery. Hayri Ogul, MD Berhan Pirimoglu, MD Mecit Kantarci, MD, PhD Department of Radiology Ataturk University School of Medicine 25090, Erzurum, Turkey FDA device/drug status: Not applicable. Author disclosures: HO: Nothing to disclose. BP: Nothing to disclose. MK: Nothing to disclose.
Figure. (Left) Axial non–contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) image shows the bone defect of posteroinferior part of the occipital bone (asterisk) secondary decompression surgery. (Right) Axial noncontrast enhanced CT image shows the lumbar pneumorrhachis at the L1 vertebrae level (black arrow). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2014.07.015 1529-9430/Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A very rare complication of the posterior fossa decompression surgery: lumbar pneumorrhachis A 33-year-old man referred to our radiology department with severe low back pain for 3 weeks. He underwent a posterior fossa decompression surgery because of the presence of the Arnold-Chiari malformation 1 month ago. Thus, the patient underwent computed tomography imaging examinations to understand the possible causes of the low back pain. Posterior lamina of the first cervical vertebrae and posteroinferior part of the occipital bone of the skull has been removed to relieve pressure (Figure, Left). We also detected a large intramedullary hypodense lesion at the
L1 vertebrae level on the lumbar CT images (Figure, Right). It had air Hounsfield unit density. Thus, we thought that this pneumorrhachis lesion was a very rare complication of the posterior fossa decompression surgery. Hayri Ogul, MD Berhan Pirimoglu, MD Mecit Kantarci, MD, PhD Department of Radiology Ataturk University School of Medicine 25090, Erzurum, Turkey FDA device/drug status: Not applicable. Author disclosures: HO: Nothing to disclose. BP: Nothing to disclose. MK: Nothing to disclose.
Figure. (Left) Axial non–contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) image shows the bone defect of posteroinferior part of the occipital bone (asterisk) secondary decompression surgery. (Right) Axial noncontrast enhanced CT image shows the lumbar pneumorrhachis at the L1 vertebrae level (black arrow). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2014.07.015 1529-9430/Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
