Paraganglioma of the cauda equina presenting with erectile and sphincter dysfunction
Wieslaw Marcol1, Grzegorz Kiwic, Izabela Malinowska-Kolodziej
1Department of Neurosurgery, Wojewodzki Szpital Specjalistyczny Nr. 2, Jastrzebie-Zdroj, Poland. wmarcol@tlen.pl
Abstract:
Paragangliomas of the cauda equina are rare neuroepithelial tumors, usually manifesting clinically as sciatica. Here, we report a case of cauda equina paraganglioma with an unusual course in a 43-year-old man. His main complaints were erectile and sphincter dysfunction. The low back pain was initially ascribed to accidental injury. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed intradural tumor at the L2/L3 level. The patient underwent gross tumor resection, and the diagnosis of paraganglioma was based on neuropathologic examination. The symptoms completely resolved after tumor resection.
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