Risk of small field of view in lumbar spine computed tomography for assumed lumbar disc herniation: beware contained ruptured aortic aneurysm

Abstract

Among several other atypical clinical presentations, back and leg pain may ensue from a contained ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The present case concerns a patient whose back and leg pain were primarily thought to be orthopaedic or neurologic in origin. Computed tomography with small field of view, performed for the detection of a possible lumbar disc herniation, only partially showed a paraspinal soft tissue mass. Subsequently, recognition of this mass as a contained ruptured aortic aneurysm was delayed. The literature is reviewed concerning comparable cases and it is concluded that computed tomograms performed for possible lumbar disc herniation should also be screened for paraspinal disease and consequently, the applied field of view should be large enough to include at least the paraspinal psoas regions.