cauda equina syndrome
Pronunciation: COW-dah eh-KWY-nah
Also written as: CES — cauda equina syndrome
A surgical emergency involving compression of the cauda equina nerve roots causing bowel/bladder dysfunction and bilateral leg symptoms.
Full Definition
Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a neurosurgical emergency characterized by compression of the cauda equina nerve roots below the conus medullaris, typically at the L2-L3 level or below. Clinical presentation includes severe low back pain, bilateral lower extremity weakness or numbness, saddle anesthesia (numbness in the perineal region), and most critically, bowel and bladder dysfunction including urinary retention or incontinence. CES requires emergent surgical decompression to prevent permanent neurological deficit. The condition can result from massive disc herniation, tumor, trauma, or severe spinal stenosis.
Usage
Usage note: Always emphasize urgency and need for emergency decompression in documentation.
In Context
- "The patient was taken emergently to surgery for cauda equina syndrome secondary to L4-L5 disc herniation." — emergency operative report
- "Urgent MRI was ordered to rule out cauda equina syndrome in this patient with acute urinary retention." — emergency department note