DUMBBELL SHAPED TUBERCULOUS ABSCESS ACROSS THE GREATER SCIATIC NOTCH COMPRESSING BOTH SCIATIC-NERVES

We report an instructive case of a 65-year-old mall who presented with a dumb-bell shaped tuberculous abscess across the greater sciatic not ch bilaterally compressing both sciatic nerves. Clinical symptoms prog ressed slowly and mimicked lumbar radiculopathy, thus delaying an accu rate diagnosis. Anterolateral retroperitoneal and posterolateraIlglute al approaches of the greater sciatic notch as well as the acetabulum o n both sides were followed in order to provide safe viewing and resect ion of the abscess. The abscess wall was adherent to the sciatic nerve and surrounding blood vessels. The symptoms completely disappeared af ter resection of the abscess.