CASE REPORT article
Front. Surg.
Sec. Neurosurgery
Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis with Incomplete Cauda Equina Syndrome treated with unilateral biportal endoscopic technique
Zaiyin Deng 1,2
Yujin Wang 1,2
Mohammed Saud Shaik 1,2
Duanyang Li 1,2
Rongjing Di 1,2
Zhourui Wu 1,2
Bin Ma 1,2
1. Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, China
2. Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University Department of Spine Surgery, Shanghai, China
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Abstract
Spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) involves the aberrant growth of normal adipose tissue in the spinal canal. It lacks of distinctive clinical manifestations. However, it can infrequently present as incomplete cauda equina syndrome (CES), a condition necessitating urgent surgical intervention. We present a case of SEL primarily manifesting as acute incomplete CES. The patient underwent unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) spinal canal decompression and adipose tissue excision. This procedure led to satisfactory postoperative neurological improvement. This case underscores the efficacy of unilateral biportal endoscopy as a viable minimally invasive surgical approach for SEL when accompanied by incomplete CES.
Summary
Keywords
case report 4, Cauda Equina Syndrome2, Spinal Epidural Lipomatosis1, Spinal Stenosis 5, unilateral biportal endoscopy3
Received
09 December 2025
Accepted
17 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Deng, Wang, Shaik, Li, Di, Wu and Ma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Zhourui Wu; Bin Ma
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