A Rare Calcified Complication of Epidural Injections for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Case Presentation and Literature Review

BACKGROUND: Neurogenic claudication secondary to degenerative lumbar stenosis is typically managed with nonsurgical options, such as epidural corticosteroid injections. As a standard and effective treatment for lumbar stenosis, clinicians must be aware of the corticosteroids choice when injecting in the epidural space. CASE REPORT: A 62-year-old man presenting with sciatic pain is treated with multiple neuroforaminal, facet, and caudal corticoid injections over the course of several months without any symptomatic resolution. A magnetic resonance imaging of his lumbar spine revealed focal bilateral central stenosis at the L4-L5 level. A computed tomography revealed hyperdense lesions at that level. The patient was referred for a surgical option. He underwent complete minimally invasive resection of the bilateral lesion with instrumented and interbody fusion. The final pathology report identified the mass as a calcified granuloma. CONCLUSIONS: Following repetitive methylprednisolone acetate injections, one must be aware of all the potential complications arising from particulate corticosteroids. KEY WORDS: Spinal stenosis, epidural injections, granulomas, corticosteroids