Background: Ventral perforation and vascular lesions are rare but life-threatening complications in lumbar disc surgery. In some cases, however, it remains unclear from the clinical situation whether a laparotomy is necessary to save the patient. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the value of spiral CT (computed tomography) angiography for emergency vascular diagnosis in two cases.
Methods: Spiral CT angiography with an intravenous bolus contrast medium injection and reconstruction with images in sagittal, coronal, and oblique planes was performed.
Results: Spiral CT angiography confirms or excludes a vascular lesion, as demonstrated in two case reports.
Conclusion: In unclear cases when ventral perforation in lumbar disc surgery is suspected, the need for emergency laparotomy can be confirmed quickly by noninvasive spiral CT angiography.