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Ligamentum flavum hematoma is a rare cause of root or spinal cord compression. It has been defined in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar segments of the spine. Patients may present with the following symptoms radicular pain, hypoesthesia, loss of muscle power, and cauda equina syndrome due to the anatomic level of the lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging may provide helpful clues in the differential diagnosis of the disease. However, its diagnosis is established with intraoperative and pathological findings. Surgical decompression is the only therapeutic approach reported in the literature. Herein, we present a new case of ligamentum flavum hematoma as a possible cause of failed back in a 75-year old a man who had been operated three times before. After the last surgery, the complaints of the patient were resolved and the histopathological diagnosis was consistent with ligamentum flavum hematoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chondromyxoid fibroma originating from axial skeleton is a very rare benign bone neoplasm. There are a few reported lumbar cases in the literature and it can be pre-operatively misdiagnosed as other tumors of spine. A 20-year-old girl presented to our outpatient clinic with right hip and leg pain of 3 months' duration. Physical and neurological examinations were unremarkable and laboratory test results were within normal limits. Imaging studies revealed a cystic lesion in the right half of the L5 vertebra and extending to the posterior elements of the vertebra. CT-guided biopsy result was inconclusive. Surgery was planned. Digital subtraction angiography and embolization were carried out preoperatively. During surgery, L5 laminectomy and curettage of the lesion were performed, taking care to leave the cortex intact. Bilateral L4, S1, and left L5 transpedicular instrumentation and right L5 vertebroplasty were also carried out. The operation relieved the patient's pain. The paper discusses the clinical, histological, and radiological characteristics of chondromyxoid fibroma, as well as differential diagnosis and treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]