1. Dementia Slideshow Pictures
2. Take the ADHD Quiz
3. Brain Foods Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

View Full Profile

In this Article

• What is cauda equina syndrome?
• What are the causes of cauda equina syndrome?
• What are the symptoms of cauda equina syndrome?
• How is cauda equina syndrome diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for cauda equina syndrome?
• Can cauda equina syndrome be prevented?
• What is the outlook (prognosis) for cauda equina syndrome?
• Cauda Equina Syndrome At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Cauda Equina Syndrome - Symptoms
• Cauda Equina Syndrome Index

• Cauda equina syndrome is an uncommon compression of the nerves at the end of the spinal cord within the spinal canal.
  
  
• Cauda equina syndrome can be caused by any condition that results in direct irritation or pinching of the nerves at the end of the spinal cord.
  
  
• Symptoms of cauda equina syndrome include low back pain, numbness and/or tingling in the buttocks and lower extremities (sciatica), weakness in the legs, and incontinence of bladder and/or bowels.
  
  
• Cauda equina syndrome is diagnosed based on the characteristic symptoms and confirmed by neurologic and radiology testing.
  
  
• Cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency generally requiring a surgical decompression operation.
  
  
• The outlook for patients affected by cauda equina syndrome is determined by the extent of damage to involved nerve tissue.

REFERENCES:

eMedicne.com; "Cauda Equina Syndrome."
<http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/791613-overview.>

John H. Klippel, et. al., Primer on the Rheumatic Diseases, 13th Edition, 2008.