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The authors report a case of malignant ependymoma of the terminal medullary cone and the cauda equina, presenting at the stage of metastatic diffusion to the whole spinal axis. They stress the pathological interest of such a form and its extreme rarity.
MR examination of the spine after injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine showed enhancement of the cauda equina in a case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. These MR observations may help confirm the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
A 63-year-old man, whose father died of malignant lymphoma, developed subacutely cauda equina/conus medullaris syndrome progressed over 3 months. Initial radicular pain, ascending motor and sensory paralysis without sacral sparing, vesicorectal dysfunction were similar with signs of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula. However, mild inflammatory signs, raised serum LDH, predominantly of LDH 3, lymphocytic pleocytosis and elevated beta 2 microglobulin in CSF suggested neurolymphomatosis. It was not supported, however, after CSF immunocytochemistry, myelogram, CT, Gd-MRI and Ga scan. Spinal cord/nerve root vascular syndromes of intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL) according to Glass J et al. was suspected because of the unique neurological progression similar to Foix-Alajouanine syndrome, hypoxia without abnormalities in chest X-ray film, response to steroids and raised serum soluble IL-2 receptor. Multiple biopsies were performed with negative results. However, after all muscle biopsy confirmed IVL. The lower spinal irradiation was not effective. But CHOP regimen supplemented by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) brought about swift neurological improvement and protection from late complications. Self-limiting polyneuropathy emerged during the biweekly CHOP therapy, 6 courses for 12 weeks. Eventually he was neurologically improving 10 months after the chemotherapy and adrenal enlargement, which was possibly of metastasis, was only against complete remission. This case was good outcome by biweekly CHOP using G-CSF when compared with very high mortality in reported IVL cases besides vincristine neurotoxicity under compromised blood-brain/nerve barrier due to IVL might affect the functional recovery. This case with IVL implied raised soluble IL-2 receptor and progressive cauda equina syndrome/ascending myelopathy as diagnostic clues, and efficiency of muscle biopsy to confirm IVL.
This paper describes the clinical manifestations and diagnostic studies in 26 children with intraspinal metastases of solid malignant neoplasms. The site of the metastatic lesion was verified in all cases by lumbar and/or cisternal myelography. Therapy consisted of Cobalt50 irradiation in 20 patients, of whom 11 (55%) manifested neurologic improvement. Recovery of ambulatory function was most favorable in lesiosn that involved the conus medullaris and cauda equina and spared the cervical and thoracic spinal cord. Early recognition and initiation of treatment before severe neurologic dysfunction developed was necessary to prevent severe, permanent disability.
A case of a 64-year-old man with stenosis of the lumbar canal and symptoms of compression of the cauda equina is described. This symptomatology increased after walking and was associated with spontaneous priapism. All symptoms were relieved after surgical decompression.
We evaluated the clinical appearance and results of surgical treatment in 8 patients with leg symptoms due to a lumbar intraspinal synovial cyst. The most frequent symptom was radicular leg pain due to unilateral single-root compression affecting the L5 or S1 nerve root. There were 2 cases with large cysts causing compression of the cauda equina, with spinal claudication as the main symptom. All cysts arose from arthrotic facet joints. Surgical excision gave good results and no recurrences have been noted 0.5-2 years postoperatively.
An inositol-phosphate-containing glycosphingolipid, not reported earlier, was isolated from human cauda equina. Structural characterization showed the glycosphingolipid to be inositol-phosphoryl-2(3) galactosylceramide. The concentration varied between 25 and 30 nmol/g fresh tissue.
The olfactory neuroblastoma or esthesioneuroblastoma is a rare neuroectodermal tumor originating from the olfactory neuroepithelium, which can metastasis via cerebrospinal fluid pathways. In the present case of an extensive nasal malignancy with cervical lymph node metastases in a 75-year old woman, its difficult histology alternatively led to a diagnosis of anaplastic carcinoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The patient died from complications following spread of the tumor to the spinal cord and cauda equina. Review of the literature shows that this tumor is notorious for its chameleonic character. In view of its clearly demonstrated malignancy an aggressive therapeutic approach is advocated.
The posterior epidural migration of sequestered lumbar disc fragments is an uncommon event. The authors report two such cases in which patients presented with either intense radicular pain or cauda equina syndrome. The radiological characteristics were the posterior epidural location and the ring enhancement of the mass after injection of contrast material. The major diagnostic pitfalls are discussed.
The sacrum and perisacral soft tissues are not readily amenable to investigation by conventional radiological techniques. Computed tomography (CT) has provided an excellent imaging modality for the evaluation of these areas. This article describes the normal CT anatomy of the sacrum, the CT technique for evaluating the sacrum and perisacral soft tissues and the contribution of CT to the assessment of the many disorders that may involve the sacrum. Conditions discussed include osseous tumors of the sacrum, spinal dysraphism, cauda equina tumors and cysts, lesions arising primarily in the presacral space and sacral trauma. The use of CT scanning of the sacrum following intrathecal administration of Metrizamide is described.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical significance of continuous intradural lumbosacral nerve root enhancement in symptomatic patients without prior lumbar surgery. METHODS: Fifty-three patients without prior back surgery, referred to our institution for evaluation of low-back pain and radiculopathy, were studied with gadolinium-enhanced MR (0.1 mmol/kg) of the lumbar spine. Scans were reviewed for the presence of lumbosacral nerve root enhancement and any associated nerve root compression. Results were correlated with clinical history and physical examinations. RESULTS: Seventeen continuously enhancing nerve roots and two enhancing fila terminale were observed in 13 patients. Eight of 17 (47%) had no referable symptoms. Nine of these nerve roots (53%) were not associated with any degree of nerve root compression. Seven cases (41%) were noted to have flow-related enhancement on the entry section of the T1-weighted axial sequence. CONCLUSIONS: Lumbosacral nerve root enhancement correlates poorly with clinical radiculopathy. The use of contrast enhancement to detect lumbosacral nerve root enhancement in cases in which the unenhanced scan is less than diagnostic is not warranted. The high association between lumbosacral nerve root enhancement and entry-section flow-related enhancement suggests that these enhancing structures within the cauda equina are vessels. It is likely that lumbosacral nerve root enhancement represents intravascular enhancement of radicular veins and not a breakdown in the blood-nerve barrier.
Two cases of intradural disc rupture with cauda equina compression are reported. Myelography demonstrated complete block and at surgery intradural fragments of sequestrated disc material were found. The pathogenesis of this condition is reviewed and our recommendation for management is presented.
A case of cauda equina compression by ossification in extradural fat at a level above the site of Paget's disease in a vertebra is described. Good recovery followed laminectomy and exposure of the dura mater.
Magnetic resonance imaging was used to diagnose degenerative lumbosacral stenosis in four dogs that had physical and neurologic signs consistent with a cauda equina lesion. Nerve root displacement by protruding disc material and loss of epidural fat were identified. In all dogs, the diagnosis was confirmed by dorsal laminectomy of the lumbosacral area.
Intradural spinal abscesses are rare. They are predominantly encountered as intramedullary abscesses of the spinal cord and infrequently as subdural lesions. To their knowledge, the authors report the first case of a chronic pyogenic abscess of the terminal filum in an adult woman with kyphoscoliosis who presented with lumbar radiculopathies. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a partly cystic intradural L3-4 mass that markedly enhanced after contrast administration. Laboratory signs of infection were absent. Intraoperatively a lobulated lesion observed within the terminal filum was tightly attached to neighboring nerve roots by fibrosis. On opening the cyst wall pus was revealed. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a chronic abscess. Microbiological culture detected Staphylococcus aureus. Antibiotic therapy resulted in an uneventful postoperative course, with complete resolution of symptoms and radiologically demonstrated disappearance of the lesion. The pathogenesis and radiological features of the lesion are discussed. Although extremely rare, a pyogenic abscess should be considered in the differential diagnosis of mass lesions of the cauda equina, especially in patients with preexisting spinal abnormalities. Surgical exposure, including drainage and biopsy sampling to rule out underlying tumor, combined with antibiotic treatment result in a favorable outcome.
We report a case of traumatic spondylolisthesis in a 31-year-old man struck by a steel I-beam. Although most reported traumatic spondylolisthesis cases are from low-energy trauma, this was a high-energy trauma case. The initial examination revealed no signs of cauda equina syndrome, and the patient's spinal injury was primarily capsuloligamentous. We present this rare case, with a review of pertinent literature and treatment mechanisms for traumatic spondylolisthesis.
In two lambs and two calves infected experimentally with infective larvae of Elaphostrongylus rangiferi, lymphohistiocytic and eosinophilic cell infiltrations in the leptomeninges and lymphohistiocytic granulomas in the perineurium of the cauda equina of the CNS were demonstrated. These histopathological changes are similar to the lesions usually demonstrated in reindeer with elaphostrongylosis. No parasites were found, however, in the CNS or other organs.
The pseudoclaudication syndrome, now a well known neurological entity, can simulate intermittent claudication of arterial origin in its clinical appearance. Walking and sometimes simply standing upright for a while can cause transitory pain, numbness or weakness in the legs. The symptoms are caused by entrapment of the cauda equina fibers. Intermittent bladder paresis with total inability of micturition despite urgency to void may sometimes be a prominent feature of the syndrome, a fact that seems to be less well known as seen from a review of the literature.