Unusual Sciatic Pain due to Wallet Compression A Clinical Case Series and Literature Review

Objective: To present a case series of sciatic pain in young doctors, produced by external compression of the sciatic nerve by a wallet. Summary of background data: Sciatic pain is a common problem in adults and it may be caused by various intraspinal or extraspinal pathologies. Disc rupture and degenerative spine disease are the most common intraspinal causes, while extraspinal etiology remains very rare. Methods: Description of two cases with sciatic pain produced by external compression of the sciatic nerve at the gluteal region is presented, with review of the relevant literature. Results: Complete resolution of the sciatic symptoms was achieved at 3 months following removal of the wallet from the back pocket. Conclusions: When sciatica is the only clinical finding, especially in the young patient, extraspinal causes should be suspected, as early diagnosis could reduce suffering and discomfort of the patient and prevent unnecessary procedures and investigations.