Bertolotti’s Syndrome Misdiagnosed as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in an Adolescent Girl with Low Back Pain

ABSTRACT

Bertolotti’s syndrome is a congenital abnormality in which the expanded lower lumbar transverse process articulates with the ilium or sacrum. It is an important cause of low back pain in children and adolescents that is frequently misdiagnosed. We describe the case of a 17-year-old girl with low back pain who had a 4-year history of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. She subsequently underwent plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging and was eventually diagnosed with Bertolotti’s syndrome. She was managed conservatively with 6 weeks of physical therapy and an exercise program, and her pain subsided.This case demonstrates the importance of considering anatomical and structural variants when evaluating low back pain in adolescents.