The clinical diagnosis of disorders of the spinal cord

Disease of the spinal cord or cauda equina may cause pain, motor abnormalities, sensory disturbance, alteration of reflexes and muscle tone, and bladder dysfunction. These five neurologic abnormalities occur in various combinations, evolve rapidly or slowly, and result in one of eight possible spinal cord syndromes. When a particular syndrome is defined by neurologic history and examination, differential diagnosis is limited to only a few possible disorders. An appropriate neuroradiologic or electrophysiologic procedure done at this point will usually provide the correct diagnosis.