Epidemiology of cauda equina syndrome. What changed until 2015

The primary objective of this study was to analyze the characteristics and outcomes of cases admitted to hospital with cauda equina syndrome (CES) at the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology (IOT) from 2005 to 2015. Secondly, this article is a continuation of the epidemiological work of the same base published in 2013, and will be important for other comparative studies to a greater understanding of the disease and its epidemiology.

This was a retrospective study of the medical records of admissions due to CES at IOT in the period 2005-2015 with diagnosis of CES and neuropathic bladder. The following variables were analyzed: gender, age, etiology of the disease, topographic level of the injury, time interval between injury and diagnosis, presence of neurogenic bladder, time interval between diagnosis of the CES and surgery, and reversal of the deficit or of the neurogenic bladder.

Since this is a rare disease, with a low global incidence, it was not possible, just with the current study to establish statistically significant correlations between the variables and outcomes of the disease. However, this study demonstrates the shortcomings of the Brazilian public health system, both with the initial management of these patients and the need for urgent surgical treatment.

The study shows that despite well-defined basis for the conduct of CES, a higher number of sequelae caused by the pathology is observed in Brazil. The delay in diagnosis and, therefore, for definitive treatment, remains as the major cause for the high number of sequelae. Level of evidence: 4, case series.