Intramuscular myxoma causing lumbar radiculopathy - Case report and reviewof the literature

The authors present the rare case of a myxoma, a benign soft-tissue tumor o f mesenchymal origin noted for occurring in the left atrium of the heart, w hich was found in the lumbar paraspinal muscles of an 80-year-old woman. Th is patient experienced low-back pain for over 20 years and had noted its in creasing severity with the development of an L-5 radiculopathy over a 3-mon th period. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed a large paraspinal mass that invaded the L-5 vertebral body and the left foramen OF L5-S1. A computerized tomography-a guided biopsy sampling procedure was pe rformed, and examination of the specimen revealed an intramuscular myxoma. The patient underwent resection of the tumor and nerve root decompression. The diagnosis of intramuscular myxoma was confirmed, and the patient experi enced complete resolution of her presenting symptoms. This patient represen ts the third reported case (the first in the English-language Literature) o f an intramuscular (paraspinal) myxoma presenting with lumbar nerve root co mpression.