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Case Reports
. 2025 Mar 13;17(3):e80523.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.80523. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Pseudotumor Tensor Fascia Lata Syndrome From Underlying Severe Lumbar Stenosis: A Case Report

Zane Shah  1 , Won J Jeong  1 , Wyatt I Kupperman  1 , Yonghoon Lee  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pseudotumor Tensor Fascia Lata Syndrome From Underlying Severe Lumbar Stenosis: A Case Report

Zane Shah et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

A pseudotumor of the tensor fascia lata (TFL) describes a rare condition characterized by hypertrophy or pseudohypertrophy of the TFL that can mimic a soft tissue mass. Without the right clinical suspicion, it can be misdiagnosed as a benign or malignant soft tissue tumor, leading to oncologic workups. Unnecessary workups can cause patient distress, waste resources, and delay the management of the condition and its associated symptoms. Here, we describe a 65-year-old male who developed a pseudotumor of the TFL in the setting of severe lumbar spinal stenosis. The etiology for this patient was suspected to be a combination of altered gait mechanics and denervation secondary to L4/5 radiculopathy. There is a paucity of current research, literature, and clinical cases on this topic. However, the prior cases share similarities in presentation and imaging findings. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for diagnostic confirmation in nearly all cases, with treatment ranging from hip abductor strengthening to botulinum toxin injections. To limit unnecessary diagnostic testing and invasive procedures, it is important for clinicians to be aware of TFL hypertrophy and its possible etiologies.

Keywords: botulinum toxin therapy; denervation hypertrophy; diagnostic mri; hip abductors; lumbar spinal stenosis; mechanical hypertrophy; soft tissue mass; tensor fascia lata hypertrophy; tensor fascia lata pseudohypertrophy; tensor fascia lata pseudotumor.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. MRI showing hypertrophy of the TFL
The scan of the right lower extremity in the coronal plane shows an enlarged TFL muscle measuring 51.6 mm as demarcated in the image (white arrow). TFL, tensor fascia lata; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
Figure 2
Figure 2. MRI showing a cross-section of TFL hypertrophy
The scan of the right lower extremity at the level of the hip in the axial plane shows the enlargement of the TFL muscle (white arrow). TFL, tensor fascia lata; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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