CT evaluation of the greater sciatic foramen in patients with sciatica.

Sciatic and lower extremity neurologic symptoms may be from pathologic involvement of the sacral plexus or sciatic nerve in the region of the greater sciatic foramen. Twenty-five patients were reviewed who presented consecutively over a 4 year period with sciatic symptoms secondary to pathologic changes in the greater sciatic foramen. Malignant neoplasm alone (18 patients) and malignant neoplasm associated with infection (two patients) account for most of these cases. Neurogenic tumors (three patients), both benign and malignant, and infection alone (three patients) were less frequent. Although sciatic symptoms usually derive from spinal abnormalities, the evaluation of sciatic symptoms should not be considered complete without CT scanning of the greater sciatic foramen.