Cauda equina syndrome

As a cauda equina syndrome ( cauda equina compression syndrome) is a combination of several neurological deficit disorders referred based on a massive pinch of the cauda equina.

Symptoms of cauda equina syndrome may include:

  • Back pain above the knee in one or both lower legs radiate (called radicular pain)
  • Saddle anesthesia ( Sensitive disturbances in the buttocks and thighs )
  • Missing patellar reflex (L4 ) and / or lack of Achilles tendon reflex (S1 )
  • Motor deficits in the leg and particularly in the foot (eg foot dorsiflexion )
  • Sudden, Come with the discomfort impotence
  • Urinary and fecal incontinence by damaging the pudendal nerve (S2 -S4)
  • Reduced sphincter tone on rectal examination

A cauda equina syndrome exists particularly with severe herniated discs, as part of metastases in the lower spine or occurs after operations such as braces on when the nerves were crushed for a long time / are. In the first case it requires an immediate neurosurgical intervention to decompress the nerve as quickly as possible. Failure to do this within the first six hours after onset of symptoms, it must be expected that the nerves are permanently damaged and the patient is thus permanently suffer from symptoms of cauda equina syndrome.

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