It is easy to make the diagnosis of lateral recess syndrome (LRS} when radiological and clinical findings are evaluated together. Nerve roots are compressed at the lateral recess; centrally at the subarticular region by superior articularfacet hypertrophy. congenital stenosis orposteriolateral osteophytes; at the distal portion of the lateral recess. foraminal stenosis, extreme lateral discherniations, orosteophytic formations. cause nerve root entrapment. In this syndrome low back and leg pain are sclerotomaJ. and intermittent in nature. Typically it is not affacted by the Valsalva manoeuvre. Pain is alleviated on sitting and neuroradiological findings are chronic arid insignificant. In neuroradiological evaluation plain radiography. poly tomography and myelography have significant importance. Similar results can be obtained by polytomography in addition to computed tomography (CT). Differential diagnosis is difficult by myelography and the findings appear as root amputation or flattening.

In the present study 48 patients arepresented. The depth of their lateral recess measured by CT was found to be 2-3 mm. Patients with depths of 2-3 mm had the most signigicant symptoms and neurological findings. We could not detect any significant difference in the symptoms and the clinicalfindings of the groups with a depth of 3-4 mm and 4-5 mm. There was no symptomatic patient with a depth of> 5 mm.