Atypical lipoma of the right piriformis muscle: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Abstract Background Piriformis muscle mass is rare, which is particular for intrapiriformis lipoma. Thus far, only 11 cases of piriformis muscle mass have been reported in the English literature. Herein, we encountered one patient with intrapiriformis lipoma who was initially misdiagnosed. Case presentation The patient is a 50-year-old Chinese man. He complained of osphyalgia, right buttock pain, and radiating pain from the right buttock to the back of the right leg. Both ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a cyst-like mass in the right piriformis muscle. Ultrasonography-guided aspiration was performed on this patient first, but failed. He was then recommended to undergo mass resection and neurolysis of sciatic nerve. Surprisingly, final histology revealed the diagnosis of intrapiriformis lipoma. The patient exhibited significant relief of symptoms 3 days post-surgery. Conclusion Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of radicular pain are potentially challenging but necessary. Atypical lipoma is prone to be misdiagnosed, especially in rare sites. It is notable for clinicians to be aware of the presence of intrapiriformis lipoma to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.

Keywords

• Lipoma
• Piriformis muscle
• Sciatica