A 45-year-old man presents with acute urinary retention, saddle anesthesia, and bilateral sciatica with lower motor neuron signs in the legs. The diagnosis is:
- A Conus medullaris syndrome
- B Cauda equina syndrome ✓
- C Anterior spinal artery syndrome
- D Brown-Sequard syndrome
Correct answer: B. Cauda equina syndrome
Explanation
Cauda equina syndrome presents with acute urinary retention (areflexic bladder), saddle anesthesia, asymmetric lower motor neuron paraplegia, and severe low back pain with radiculopathy. It is a surgical emergency requiring urgent decompression. Conus medullaris syndrome presents earlier with bladder dysfunction but relatively preserved motor function and a symmetric pattern. Brown-Sequard and anterior cord syndromes are spinal cord lesions, not nerve root lesions.
Reference: Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.