Unusual cause of acute sciatica

Brahim Eljebbouri, Ali Akhaddar

PAMJ. 2014; 18:85. Published 26 May 2014 | doi:10.11604/pamj.2014.18.85.4185

This 32-year-old-man was admitted to the emergency department because of S1 left acute sciatica. An emergency, CT-scan showed highly probable appearance of herniated disc in L5-S1 level (A). The patient was operated without founding disc herniation, but an aspect of anterior and posterior epidural abscess compressing the dural sheath at L5-S1. Medullary MRI showed after the up and the down extention of disease process (B). Histological examination of samples found a B lymphoblastic leukemia (C). The patient died 3 weeks after because of systemic infection. After review of literature, it was never been described that the sciatic pain can be a mode of revelation of B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Only two cases reported this mode of revelation but for lymphoma requiring a surgical intervention -as our case- firstly to relieve the patient by a radicular decompression and secondly for histological diagnosis.
Corresponding author
eljebbouri.brahim@yahoo.fr (eljebbouri.brahim@yahoo.fr)


The Pan African Medical Journal (ISSN: 1937-8688) is a subsidiary of the Pan African Medical Journal. The contents of this journal is intended exclusively for professionals in the medical, paramedical and public health and other health sectors.

Currently tracked by: DOAJ, AIM, Google Scholar, AJOL, EBSCO, Scopus, Embase, IC, HINARI, Global Health, PubMed Central, PubMed/Medline, ESCI

Physical address: Kenya: 3rd Floor, Park Suite Building, Parkland Road, Nairobi. PoBox 38583-00100, tel: +254 (0)20-520-4356 | Cameroon: Immeuble TechnoPark Essos, Yaounde, PoBox: 10020 Yaounde, tel: +237 (0)24-309-5880