Sciatica Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Sciatica, including details on treatment, prevention, medication.

Aneurysm of the common iliac artery presenting as a lumbosacral plexopathy.

Gardiner MD, Mangwani J, Williams WW

1St. Andrews Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns.

We describe a case of lumbosacral plexopathy caused by an isolated aneurysm of the common iliac artery. The patient presented with worsening low back pain, progressive numbness and weakness of the right leg in the L2-L4 distribution. This had previously been diagnosed as sciatica. A CT scan showed an aneurysm of the right common iliac artery which measured 8 cm in diameter. Despite being listed for emergency endovascular stenting, the aneurysm ruptured and the patient died. It is important to distinguish a lumbosacral plexopathy from sciatica and to bear in mind its treatable causes which include aneurysms of the common and internal iliac arteries.

Published 31 October 2006 in J Bone Joint Surg Br, 88(11): 1524-6.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Sciatica Research Today. All Rights Reserved.