Spinal Neurofibroma Masquerading as a Herniated Disc: A case report

We present the only case in english medical literature of a spinal neurofibroma misdiagnosed as a herniated disc using magnetic resonance imaging (mri). this case presented with typical symptoms and radiological findings of a herniated disc. intraoperatively, an abnormality was noted at the s1 nerve root sleeve. further exploration revealed a spinal neurofibroma which was completely resected, resulting in an improvement in the patient’s symptoms. currently, there is heavy reliance on mri as a highly sensitive and specific tool used in the diagnosis of herniated lumbar discs. although there have been occasional reports of misdiagnoses using mri, there are no reported cases of a spinal neurofibroma being misdiagnosed as a herniated lumbar disc. despite great advances in radiological diagnostic imaging, surgical surprises do still occur. ultimately, instinct is still essential in intraoperative surgical decisions