I Have Been Diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome Are there any other people that have heard of it.?

Question

It affects all regions below L2/L4 area of the central nervous system.Walking is difficult.

I have my symptoms more than 12 months . a recent mri shows loss disc hydration at L4/L5. and at L5/S1 plus loss of disc height. There is a broad disc protrusion causing bilateral L5 foraminal stenosis. There is an expansive mass of CSF lying behind S2/S3 and this is diagnosed as a meningeal Tarlov Cyst.

Answer 1

Yes. There are many reasons why you might have developed cauda equina syndrome. The most usual reason is a slipped disk, or badly manipulated slipped disk, where the spinal cord is compressed by disk material or partially dislocated. Other reasons include injury, spinal stenosis, infection, malignancy, there's a long list of causes.

It's important to know what caused it before you can say how it will affect you long term. Some of the causes can lead to some worsening of symptoms over time, some will not progress your symptoms any further, and you may have some improvement.

Maybe you could post more information?

Both the disc protrusion and the Tarlov cyst will be contributing to your symptoms - and both are treatable by surgery. The surgery for the disc protrusion would involve removal of the disc matter causing compression on the nerves. The surgery for the cyst could involve either removal of the fluid by needle and injecting a tissue adhesive to try to glue the sides of the cyst and prevent it recurring (which it tends to do) or open surgery to remove it, although this may not be an option - your surgeons will advise you of the best course of action.

Your recovery will be limited by the fact that you've had your symptoms for a year. In that time, some permanent nerve damage may well have set in. Even after surgery, you may still find you have some problems with weakness in the legs, and bowel and bladder symptoms may be persistant.

Physiotherapy may be necessary to show you ways of maximising the strength that you have in your leg muscles, and may also be useful in re-educating your gait, and may also provide some help with bowel/bladder retraining.

The main thing now is to follow up on the MRI findings, and take it from there.

The good news is that there were no malignancies found, and that the conditions you list can be treated, at least to some degree. There are risks associated with all surgeries, and the risks with spinal surgery of any kind is that the nerves may be further damaged during surgery. However, this is usually not the case, and there are many gifted surgeons around who can achieve excellent results.

The loss of disc hydration and consequent loss of disc height at L45 and L5S1 are probably not as relevant to your neurological symptoms, but could certainly contribute to your pain. This type of problem is not usually treated by surgery - it's degenerative in nature, and very common. Treatment for this will probably take a back seat until the more pressing problems of the disc protrusion and cyst are dealt with.

Good luck, I hope things go well for you. You have a challenging time ahead, but hopefully you will get good results from treatment.

Answer 2

Cauda Equina Syndrome

Low back pain is common and usually goes away without surgery. But a rare disorder affecting the bundle of nerve roots (cauda equina) at the lower (lumbar) end of the spinal cord is a surgical emergency. An extension of the brain, the nerve roots send and receive messages to and from the pelvic organs and lower limbs. Cauda equina syndrome (CES) occurs when the nerve roots are compressed and paralyzed, cutting off sensation and movement. Nerve roots that control the function of the bladder and bowel are especially vulnerable to damage.


If you don't get fast treatment to relieve the pressure, CES may cause permanent paralysis, impaired bladder and/or bowel control, loss of sexual sensation and other problems. Even if the problem gets treatment right away, you may not recover complete function.

Causes

CES may be caused by a ruptured disk, tumor, infection, fracture or narrowing of the spinal canal. It may also happen because of a violent impact such as a car crash, fall from significant height or penetrating (i.e., gunshot, stab) injury. Children may be born with abnormalities that cause CES.

Diagnosis and treatment

Although you need early treatment to prevent permanent problems, CES may be difficult to diagnose. Symptoms vary in intensity and may evolve slowly over time. See your doctor immediately if you have:


Bladder and/or bowel dysfunction, causing you to retain waste or be unable to hold it.

Severe or progressive problems in the lower extremities including loss of or altered sensation between the legs, over the buttocks, inner thighs and back of legs (saddle area), and feet/heels.

Pain, numbness or weakness spreading to one or both legs that may cause you to stumble or have difficulty getting up from a chair.

To diagnose CES, the doctor will probably evaluate your medical history, give you a physical examination and order multiple imaging studies.

Medical history: Describe your overall health, when the symptoms of CES began and how they impact your activities.

Physical exam: The doctor assesses stability, sensation, strength, reflexes, alignment and motion. He or she may ask you to stand, sit, walk on your heels and toes, bend forward, backward and to the sides, and lift your legs while lying down. The doctor might check the tone and numbness of anal muscles. You may need blood tests.

Imaging: You may get X-rays, MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) and CAT scans (computerized tomography) to help the doctor see the problem.

Surgery

If you have CES, you may need urgent surgery to remove the material that is pressing on the nerves. The surgery may prevent pressure on the nerves from reaching the point at which damage is irreversible.

Living with CES

Surgery won't help if you already have permanent nerve damage. In this case, you can learn how to make living with CES more tolerable. Some suggestions:


In addition to medical personnel, you may want to get help from an occupational therapist, social worker, continence advisor or sex therapist.

Involve your family in your care.

To learn all you can about managing the condition, you may want to join a CES support group.

Managing bladder and bowel

Some bladder and bowel function is automatic, but the parts under voluntary control may be lost if you have CES. This means you may not know when you need to urinate or move your bowels, and/or you may not be able to eliminate waste normally. Some general recommendations for managing bladder and bowel dysfunction:

Bladder: Empty the bladder completely with a catheter 3-4 times each day. Drink plenty of fluids and practice regular personal hygiene to prevent urinary tract infection.

Bowel: Check for the presence of waste regularly and clear the bowels with gloved hands. You may want to use glycerin suppositories or enemas to help empty the bowels. Use protective pads and pants to prevent leaks.

Answer 3

http://www.caudaequina.org/definition.html

I had not heard of it but I went to this website and read a little bit about it. It sounds very unconfortable and distressing. Good luck.

Answer 4

Sorry to hear it- is your acute- or tumor related?? I hope they have some help for you- you can always have a miracle-here are 2 sites on it- take care-D

Answer 5

pl go to www.caudaequina.org you can chat with other people.

Dr Qutub