Occult intrasacral meningocele is an uncommon condition that may produ
ce chronic low back pain, sciatica, and bladder dysfunction. We descri
be a patient suffering from low back pain and radicular symptoms, in w
hom multimodality radiological examinations showed an intrasacral meni
ngocele and a lumbar disc prolapse. The protuded disc was considered t
o be the cause of the clinical symptoms in this patient rather than th
e meningocele. Surgical removal of the protuded disc was performed wit
hout interference with the meningocele. Postoperatively there was reco
very of the preoperative deficits. Clinical and radiographic findings
in occult intrasacral meningocele are discussed and criteria for diffe
rential diagnosis with disc prolapse are stressed.