A Swollen Inferior Gemellus Muscle with Hematoma Mimics Sciatica—A Case Report

Extra-spinal causes of sciatic pain are normally underdiagnosed, as they are extremely uncommon. Although pyriformis syndrome is recognized as one of the main causes of sciatic pain, other pelvic muscles that could cause sciatic pain are often overlooked. The present article describes a swollen infe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Co Yih Siow, Kuan-Lin Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-04-01
Series:Diagnostics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/12/5/1080
Description
Summary:Extra-spinal causes of sciatic pain are normally underdiagnosed, as they are extremely uncommon. Although pyriformis syndrome is recognized as one of the main causes of sciatic pain, other pelvic muscles that could cause sciatic pain are often overlooked. The present article describes a swollen inferior gemellus muscle with hematoma initially diagnosed with ultrasonography and later confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Ultrasound revealed a swollen muscle with hematoma between the ischial tuberosity and the medial surface of the greater trochanter of the femur. MRI scan showed edematous change with an increased enhancement of the right inferior gemellus muscle. Ultrasound could be used to diagnose inferior gemellus pathology, but the muscle is easy to miss. Therefore, MRI could be preferred for conditions that impact deep or large areas in confirming inferior gemellus pathology.
ISSN:2075-4418