Modified surgical technique for the treatment of idiopathic spinal cord herniation.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Spinal cord herniation is not a common disease and only 80 cases have been reported to the best of our knowledge. The treatment of this lesion is thought to be difficult and a better surgical technique has not been established. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old man presented with gradually worsening spastic gait and hypoesthesia in the bilateral lower extremities suspected to be due to Brown-Séquard syndrome. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a thoracic spinal cord herniation into the anterior hiatus at T2 - 3. INTERVENTION: A modified technique of closure of the hiatus in front of the herniation was performed. A surgical artificial dural membrane was introduced between the herniated portion of the thoracic cord and the dural hiatus and was placed to cover the whole dural defect in order to minimize the operative procedure at the ventral side of the spinal cord. On subsequent magnetic resonance imaging, the herniation was remarkably improved and patient's symptoms were abolished. CONCLUSION: The direct widening of the dural defect has been reported to be the only treatment providing a good outcome. We suggest that our modified technique for its closure can be as safe and effective as the direct widening method.