ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2017
Cauda Equina Syndrome: presentation, outcome, and predictors with focus on micturition, defecation, and sexual dysfunction.
Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
43 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 88 citations in OpenAlex.
- The implications of surgery on sexual dysfunction in patients with lumbar disc herniation with cauda equina syndrome: a systematic review.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Sexual activity after spine surgery: a systematic review.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2018Pooled it
- The "Silent Disability"- examining patient perspectives on the diagnosis, management and the long-term implications of cauda equina syndrome in Ireland.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy versus physical therapist-led exercise and the risk of cauda equina syndrome in adults with lumbar disc herniation, stenosis, or radiculopathy.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Dural Sac Cross-Sectional Area Measurement as an Indicator of Cauda Equina Syndrome Risk in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Review
- Long-term recovery of cauda equina syndrome and sexual dysfunction following delayed decompression of a giant lumbar disc herniation: illustrative case.Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons · 2026Article
- Leptomeningeal metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma presenting as cauda equina syndrome: a case report and literature review.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Health care disparities in complication and mortality rates following surgical management of cauda equina syndrome in New York State.The journal of spinal cord medicine · 2026Article
- Intradural Extramedullary Spinal Cord Malignancy Treated With Percutaneous Image-Guided Cryoablation.Cureus · 2025Article
- Improving the detection and documentation of suspected cauda equina syndrome: a quality improvement project.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
- Cauda Equina Syndrome: A Survey of Guideline Utilisation in Primary Care in England.Musculoskeletal care · 2025Article
- Improving the suspected cauda equina syndrome pathway at a district general hospital: a quality improvement project.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
- Functional Outcomes in Cauda Equina Syndrome Beyond 48 hours Window: A Case Series.Case reports in surgery · 2025Article
- Identification and Assessment of Outcome Measurement Instruments in Cauda Equina Syndrome: A Systematic Review.Global spine journal · 2024Article
- Correlates of sexual function in women with acute lumbar disc herniation in Iran: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Chronic cauda equina syndrome decompression surgery recovery is very "bad"? Based on patient self-assessment.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2024Article
- Article
- Multiple lumbar punctures aiming to relieve headache results in iatrogenic spinal hematoma: a case report.Journal of medical case reports · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEven though micturition, defecation, and sexual function are substantially affected in cauda equina syndrome (CES), data on outcome are scarce.
methodsMedical files of patients operated on lumbar herniated disc were screened for CES and retrospectively analyzed for baseline characteristics, outcome of micturition, defecation, and sexual function and possible predictors.
resultsSeventy-five CES patients (52% men) were included with a mean age of 44 years. L5-S1 was the most common affected level. Duration of CES complaints at presentation was, on average, 84 h (median 48 h). Prevalence of symptoms at presentation: sciatica (97%), altered sensation of the saddle area (93%), micturition dysfunction (92%), and defecation dysfunction (74%). Only 26 patients were asked about sexual dysfunction of whom 25 patients experienced dysfunction. Female gender was associated with more defecation dysfunction at presentation than male gender (OR 4.11; p = 0.039). All patients underwent decompressive surgery. Two post-operative follow-up (FU) moments took place after a mean of 75 h and 63 days. Outcomes at second FU moment: micturition dysfunction 48%, defecation dysfunction 42%, sexual dysfunction 53%, sciatica 48%, and altered sensation of the saddle area 57%. A shorter time to decompression was associated with more sciatica at FU 1 (p = 0.042) which effect had disappeared at FU 2.
conclusionThis study is unique in (1) displaying the presenting features in a large cohort of CES patients, (2) demonstrating that recovery after decompression is slow and far from complete in the majority of patients with regard to micturition, defecation, and sexual function and (3) evaluating predictors for outcome.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.