The most common cause of extradural mass in lumbar region is disc material. The morphology of the lesion depends upon whether it is the disc protrusion, extrusion or sequestration. Moreover, a tumor has to be ruled out before surgery.

In our case, L4/L5 disc was degenerated with a mass attached to it indicating disc extrusion. We wanted to rule out any possibility of a tumor. So we performed a discography under fluoroscopy guidance which unequivocally confirmed the disc extrusion and ruled out any tumor. CT axial images were also obtained to cross-check discography findings. At surgery, a 17 x 16 mm disc extrusion was confirmed.