Postoperative discal pseudocyst: A case report and literature review

Abstract

We report the case of a 43-year-old female patient with a history of recent surgery for a herniated lumbar disc L4-L5, whose postoperative course was straightforward; readmitted for radiculopathy of similar course and intensity to the initial symptomatology. A lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed on the 9 th day of surgery revealed a cystic formation at the site of the discectomy, suggesting a postoperative discal pseudocyst (PDP). The treatment was surgical, with a favorable outcome. Any surgeon should think about it when faced with persistent radiculopathy after surgical treatment of a lumbar disc herniation.

Keywords

• Postoperative discal pseudocyst
• Discectomy
• Complication
• Clinical case