An arteriovenous malformation as a rare cause of sciatic neuropathy: a case report

Abstract

Sciatica is characterized by pain and discomfort occurring frequently with impingement at the level of spinalnerve along the regions innervated by the sciatic nerve. Compression and irritation of the nerve often occurswith a spinal cause such as lumbar disc hernia or spinal stenosis. Compression of the nerve by an arteriovenousmalformation is very rare among the causes leading to non-discogenic sciatic neuropathy. Herein, we reportedour case with clinically and electrophysiologically typical sciatic neuropathy and treated by us surgically. Toour knowledge, cases with arteriovenous malformation -caused sciatica were limited in the literature review.Electromyography should be performed to exclude the nerve compression due to rare causes such as vascularcauses which may lead to sciatic neuropathy in patients with sciatic distribution symptoms and signs, afterinitial negative spine imaging