Baastrup's Disease: An Often Missed Etiology for Back Pain.

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Lucas R Philipp, Emory University; Griffin R Baum, Emory University; Jonathan Grossberg, Emory University; Faiz Ahmad, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2016
• Publisher: Cureus, Inc.
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2016, Philipp et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.465
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Cureus
• ISSN: 2168-8184
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: e465
• End Page: e465
• Keywords: back pain; baastrup's disease
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Baastrup's disease is a relatively common disorder of the vertebral column, characterized by low back pain arising from the close approximation of adjacent posterior spinous processes and resultant degenerative changes, most commonly at L4-L5. Though fairly common, Baastrup's disease is overwhelmingly underdiagnosed and often missed due to a lack of knowledge and/or improper diagnostic techniques, leading to frequent mistreatment. We present a case of a 56-year-old man who presented with chronic, ongoing low back pain of several years duration. His pain was relieved by flexion of the spine, and aggravated by extension. Imaging studies revealed "kissing" posterior spinous processes, consistent with a diagnosis of Baastrup's Disease. He was treated with subcutaneous steroid injections and showed considerable clinical improvement.