Ganglioneuroma of Spinal Nerve Root: A Rare Case Mimicking Herniated Lumbar Disc and Lumbar Radiculopathy

Ganglioneuromas are rare benign tumors arising from neuroepithelial cells. Even more rarely they involve lumbar spinal nerve roots. We report a 34-year-old male patient who presented with typical lumbar radiculopathy. He had low back pain radiating to the right lower leg with numbness. His MRI revealed a herniated disc at L5-S1 compressing the right nerve root. Surgery was planned for microdiscectomy and nerve root decompression. Right L5 hemilaminotomy was performed and the nerve root was identified. Surprisingly the nerve root was markedly inflamed and there was no obvious disc tissue herniation. Considering it to be a spinal nerve root tumor, the dura of the nerve root was opened and nerve root mass exposed. Subtotal resection was performed. Biopsy showed Ganglioneuroma. The main purpose of this article is to report such a rare case and also to review the literature.