Abstract
Background: Piriformis syndrome is an uncommon disease result from
compression of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle. Symptoms may
include pain and numbness in the buttocks and down the leg. This study
analyzes the laparoscopic surgical treatments of pelvic piriformis
syndrome. Presentation: We report two cases of pelvic piriformis
syndrome diagnosed in our hospital. The first case was a 40 years old
woman with a 7-year history of intermittent low back and sciatalgia on
her right side. The severity of the pain was 10/10 on the visual analog
scale(VAS). Hyperesthesia and cutaneous allodynia were observed in the
right sciatic nerve dermatome. The laparoscopic decompression surgery
was performed to release the right sciatic nerve from the aberrant
piriformis muscle. Postoperative 3 and 6 months follow-up, her VAS
decreased to 0/10. The second case was a 30 years old woman with a
2-year history of sciatalgia on her left side. Her VAS was 9/10. The
laparoscopic decompression surgery was performed to release the left
sciatic nerve and left sacral nerve S2 dermatome from the aberrant
piriformis muscle. Postoperative 3 and 6 months follow-up, her VAS
decreased to 1/10. Conclusion: Due to the very few cases in the
literature, pelvic piriformis syndrome is thought to be an exclusively
clinical diagnosis. The sciatica is refractory despite appropriate
conservative treatments; laparoscopic exploration of the pelvic nerves
and piriformis muscle and decompression surgery can be a good option.
Keywords: Laparoscopy, pain, piriformis muscle syndrome, sacral nerve
root, the sciatic nerve.