Hematoma of the Lumbar Ligamentum Flavum: A Case Report

Abstract

We report a case of hematoma of the lumbar ligamentum flavum. A 61-year-old man presented with pain and numbness of the lateral aspect of the left leg. Although his symptoms improved once by conservative treatment, they recurred four months after his first visit and he could hardly walk due to muscle weakness of the left foot. MRI findings demonstrated an extradural mass at the left side of the L4 level which showed high signal intensity in T1WI. In surgical operation, the mass was revealed to be a hematoma that continuously progressed from the left L4-5 ligamentum flavum to the cranial side. After complete removal of this mass, his symptoms and signs disappeared remarkably.
Hematoma of the ligamentum flavum is a comparatively rare disorder, it maybe possible to diagnose it preoperatively by its characteristic intensity in MRI, especially in T1WI.